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Glite Dictionary
Soricidae

Soricidae

1 9.9
Small mammals like shrews that eat insects and have pointed snouts and tiny eyes
  • noun
  • /ˌsɔːrɪˈkaɪdiː/
  • Specialized
: Soricidae
  • The Soricidae are among the smallest mammals found across the world.

Examples

  • Many members of the Soricidae family have venomous saliva, uncommon among mammals.

  • The Soricidae family includes various species of shrews.

  • Researchers studied the habitat preferences of various Soricidae species in temperate forests.

  • Did you know that Soricidae are known for their high metabolic rates?

  • The Soricidae family includes various species of shrews, which are known for their long snouts and small eyes.

  • Researchers discovered a new species within the Soricidae family that inhabits the lush forests of Europe.

  • Many animals in the Soricidae family play a crucial role in controlling insect populations in their ecosystems.

Synonyms

family Soricidae
vsSoricidae
  • Specialized
1 9.5

A group of small animals called shrews that eat insects and have pointed snouts

is the same taxonomic group name without the explicit family label

Compounds

family Soricidae
  • Specialized
1 9.5

A group of small animals called shrews that eat insects and have pointed snouts

Surface Forms

Soricidae singular
Soricidaes plural

Morphology

Soricidae = soricid + idae

A specialized taxonomic formation (stem + the scientific family suffix '-idae') that is not productive in general English, so learners cannot derive 'family of shrews' from the parts without domain knowledge.

Etymology

Soricidae comes from the Latin sorex, meaning 'shrew', and the ending -idae marks an animal 'family', as in Felidae for 'cats' and Canidae for 'dogs'. So, Soricidae is the family name for the small, pointy-nosed shrews.