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Glite Dictionary
desert rat

desert rat

1 8.0
A small hopping animal that lives in deserts, often in North America and Mexico, and eats seeds
  • noun
  • /ˈdɛzərt ræt/
  • US
translation icon : rata del desierto

Examples

  • I smell a couple of desert rats.

    DuckTales: The Movie - Treasure of the Lost Lamp (1990)

  • The desert rat is well adapted to life in arid environments, able to store water efficiently.

  • During our hike, we spotted a desert rat leaping across the sandy terrain.

  • While camping in the desert, we were excited to see a desert rat burrowing near our tents.

Synonyms

kangaroo rat
vsdesert rat
  • US
1 6.3

A small desert animal like a mouse that hops on long hind legs and has a long tail

is larger in size, applying mainly to bigger family members

Surface Forms

desert rat singular
desert rats plural

Morphology

desert + rat

The meaning 'a rodent that lives in the desert' is directly derivable from combining 'desert' (dry region) and 'rat' (rodent). This simple noun+noun compound denotes type/location and follows a common compositional pattern found across languages, so a B1 learner who knows both constituents will readily understand it.

Etymology

Desert rat comes from a simple picture: a small, rat-like animal living and hopping around in the dry desert. That's why the term means 'a small hopping rodent that lives in dry places' today.