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Glite Dictionary
cave bat

cave bat

8.6
A small dull yellow-brown flying animal with large ears that lives in caves
  • noun
  • /keɪv bæt/
translation icon : murciélago de cueva
  • The cave bat flew silently through the dark.

Examples

  • The cave bat is well-adapted to living in dark underground spaces.

  • Researchers spotted several cave bats roosting together in the limestone cavern.

  • A cave bat uses its large ears to detect prey in total darkness.

  • Many cave bats hibernate during the winter months.

  • The researchers observed a group of cave bats hanging from the ceiling of the dark cave.

  • At dusk, the cave bats emerged to hunt insects fluttering near the entrance.

  • The documentary highlighted the unique features of the cave bat, particularly its large ears adapted for echolocation.

Synonyms

Antrozous pallidus
vscave bat
  • Specialized
9.9

A light yellow bat with big ears that lives in caves and eats insects

is the nontechnical descriptive term rather than the scientific name
pallid bat
vscave bat
  • US
8.7

A bat with large ears and pale yellow fur that lives in western North America caves

is a drab yellowish description without regional or formal naming

Surface Forms

cave bat singular
cave bats plural

Morphology

cave + bat

The compound is transparently compositional: 'cave' specifies the habitat and 'bat' names the animal, so the meaning 'a bat that lives in caves' follows directly from the constituents. This noun+noun modifier pattern is common cross-linguistically and would be readily inferable by a B1 learner who knows both words.

Etymology

The noun cave bat names a bat that lives in a cave. Imagine a small, drab yellowish bat hanging on the cave wall, using its large ears like a radar to find food in the dark. That's why the name means 'a bat that lives in caves'.