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Glite Dictionary
Trichoglossus moluccanus

Trichoglossus moluccanus

9.9
A colorful parrot from Australia often called the rainbow lorikeet
  • noun
  • Specialized
translation icon : Trichoglossus moluccanus
  • The vivid feathers of the Trichoglossus moluccanus make it a favorite among birdwatchers in Australia.

Examples

  • A flock of Trichoglossus moluccanus can be very noisy as they gather in city parks.

  • Zookeepers often feed the Trichoglossus moluccanus a special nectar to mimic its natural diet.

  • The Trichoglossus moluccanus is known for its vibrant colors.

  • Have you ever seen a Trichoglossus moluccanus in the wild?

  • A flock of Trichoglossus moluccanus can be very noisy as they gather in city parks.

  • The vivid feathers of the Trichoglossus moluccanus make it a favorite among birdwatchers in Australia.

  • Zookeepers often feed the Trichoglossus moluccanus a special nectar to mimic its natural diet.

Synonyms

rainbow lorikeet
vsTrichoglossus moluccanus
  • Australian
7.0

A bright, colorful parrot from Australia that often feeds on nectar

is the scientific name used instead of the common name

Surface Forms

Trichoglossus moluccanus singular
Trichoglossus moluccanuses plural

Morphology

Trichoglossus + moluccanus

This is a Latin scientific name (a taxonomic label) rather than a compositional English phrase; its meaning (‘a particular species of Trichoglossus, the rainbow lorikeet’) is a conventional label and cannot be derived from ordinary knowledge of the parts by a B1 learner. The specific epithet is Latin and not transparently meaningful in everyday English, so knowing the constituent strings does not let a learner predict the species sense.

Etymology

Trichoglossus moluccanus comes from old name parts tricho and glossus which mean 'hair' and 'tongue', because the lorikeet has a brush-like tongue to lick nectar. The last part, moluccanus, links the bird to the Moluccas islands where it was first found, so the whole name helps you picture a colourful nectar-eating parrot with a 'hairy' tongue.