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Glite Dictionary
chevrotain

chevrotain

9.9
Very small, hornless animal like a deer that lives in tropical Asia and West Africa
  • noun
  • /ˈʃɛvrəˌteɪn/
translation icon : chevrotain
  • The chevrotain is often referred to as a mouse-deer due to its small size and deer-like appearance.

Examples

  • The forest duikers and chevrotains eat fallen fruits and seeds produced by canopy trees and lianas.

    Academic text (1992)

  • The newborns of sambar, pig, chevrotain, giant squirrel, and langur are eaten for medicinal as well as subsistence purposes.

    Academic text (1993)

  • In the dense jungle, a tiny chevrotain quietly grazes on fallen fruits.

  • While exploring the forest, we spotted a rare chevrotain moving gracefully through the underbrush.

Synonyms

mouse deer
vschevrotain
  • Specialized
9.4

A very small animal with hooves like a tiny deer that lives in Asian and African forests

gives the same general description without naming the family

Compounds

water chevrotain
  • Specialized
9.9

A small animal with hooves that is active at night and lives near water in West Africa

Surface Forms

chevrotain singular
chevrotains plural

Etymology

Chevrotain comes from the French word chevre ('goat') plus a small ending -tain that makes it 'little goat'. So the name is a handy memory: it describes a very small, goat-like deer that usually has no antlers.