bleeding tooth
- noun
- Specialized
:
diente sangrante
- The shell of the bleeding tooth is easily recognized by its distinctive red markings.
Examples
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The bleeding tooth is often found hiding among coral reefs in the Caribbean.
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Divers were excited to spot a rare bleeding tooth during their underwater survey.
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Look at that bleeding tooth!
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The bleeding tooth snail is quite unique.
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Divers were excited to spot a rare bleeding tooth during their underwater survey.
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The bleeding tooth is often found hiding among coral reefs in the Caribbean.
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The shell of the bleeding tooth is easily recognized by its distinctive red markings.
Synonyms
A small sea snail from the Caribbean with a shell that has red tooth-like bumps
Surface Forms
Morphology
The adjective 'bleeding' clearly evokes red or blood-like colouring and 'tooth' denotes a tooth-like projection, so a B1 learner who knows both words would likely infer a red or bleeding tooth-like structure. However, the fact that this is the common name for a specific Caribbean gastropod (a shell feature) is not predictable from the parts alone, so the relation is only partially transparent.
Etymology
The compound noun bleeding tooth names a Caribbean 'sea snail' with red, tooth-like parts around the shell opening. The bright red marks make the tooth look like it is bleeding, so the name gives a clear image to help you remember the shell.
