brown lemming
- noun
- /braʊn ˈlɛmɪŋ/
- US
:
lemming marrón
- The brown lemming is an important food source for many Arctic predators.
Examples
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Many brown lemmings burrow to escape predators.
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Climate change may impact the population of the brown lemming in Alaska.
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Researchers observed the nesting habits of the brown lemming during the summer.
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The brown lemming is often found in tundra regions.
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The brown lemming is known for its brown fur and short tail, making it easily recognizable in its habitat.
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In the tundra, the brown lemming creates intricate burrows to protect itself from the cold.
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Many Arctic animals rely on the brown lemming as a primary food source during the harsh winters.
Synonyms
16
6.8
A small animal like a mouse with a short tail that sometimes moves long distances in large groups
A small animal like a mouse called a lemming that lives in northwestern Canada and Alaska
Surface Forms
Morphology
The noun phrase is a straightforward adjectival modifier ('brown') plus noun ('lemming'), so its meaning — a lemming that is brown in color — is directly derivable from the constituents. This simple adjective + noun composition is cross-linguistically common, so a B1 learner who knows both words would understand the MWE.
Etymology
Brown lemming is a simple name that describes the animal. It combines brown, meaning the animal's fur colour, and lemming, meaning a small burrowing rodent, so it literally means 'a small burrowing rodent with brown fur' and is used today for that animal.