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Glite Dictionary
family Chinchillidae

family Chinchillidae

9.1
A group of small bushy-tailed animals that live in burrows in South America, including chinchillas
  • noun
  • /ˈfæmɪli tʃɪnˈtʃɪlɪdeɪ/
  • Specialized
: familia Chinchillidae
  • The family Chinchillidae consists of small, bushy-tailed rodents known for their burrowing habits.

Examples

  • The family Chinchillidae includes both the common chinchilla and the lesser-known viscacha.

  • The family Chinchillidae is native to South America, where species like chinchillas thrive in mountainous regions.

  • Members of the family Chinchillidae are prized for their exceptionally soft fur.

  • Scientists studying the family Chinchillidae have discovered new behaviors in these burrowing rodents.

  • The family Chinchillidae includes several species of rodents.

  • Chinchillas belong to the family Chinchillidae.

  • Researchers have focused on the family Chinchillidae to better understand their ecology and behaviors.

Synonyms

Chinchillidae
vsfamily Chinchillidae
  • Specialized
9.9

A family of small burrowing animals from South America like chinchillas with soft fur

adds an explicit rank word to show the taxonomic family

Surface Forms

family Chinchillidae singular
families Chinchillidae plural

Morphology

family + Chinchillidae

The phrase is fully compositional: 'family' (a scientific grouping) applied to the taxon name 'Chinchillidae' straightforwardly yields 'the taxonomic family that includes chinchillas and their relatives.' This is a standard, cross-linguistic biological naming pattern, so a B1 learner who knows both constituents would readily infer the meaning.

Etymology

Family Chinchillidae is the name scientists use for the group of animals that includes chinchillas and their relatives. The word comes from chinchilla, a small, soft-furred rodent from the Andes, so the family name simply means the 'group' of those burrowing, bushy-tailed rodents.