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Glite Dictionary
🦡 A marsupial genus 🦡 Tasmanian devil group
Sarcophilus

Sarcophilus

9.9
A scientific name for an Australian animal group whose only living member is the Tasmanian devil
  • proper noun
  • Specialized
translation icon : Sarcophilus
  • The Sarcophilus is a fascinating genus of carnivorous marsupials native to Australia.

Examples

  • Researchers study the behavior of the Sarcophilus to understand its role in the ecosystem.

  • In the wild, the Sarcophilus primarily feeds on carrion and is best known for being the Tasmanian devil.

  • I summon Sarcophilus Satanicus to come and eat the flesh of the wallaby.

    Jackass Forever (2022)

Compounds

Sarcophilus harrisii
  • Specialized
9.9

A small fierce animal from Tasmania that eats meat and has black fur and a long tail

Surface Forms

Sarcophilus main

Morphology

Sarcophilus = sarco + philus

A Latinized scientific name built from Greek combining forms; the parts are not productive standalone English words and the name is not guessable to an average learner.

Etymology

Sarcophilus comes from the Greek roots sarco- 'flesh' and -phil- 'loving', as in philosophy ('love of wisdom'). So the name means 'flesh-lover', a clear memory hook for a genus best known for the meat-eating Tasmanian devil.