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Glite Dictionary
family Meropidae

family Meropidae

9.5
A group of bright, slim birds called bee-eaters with long bills and pointed wings that catch insects in the air
  • noun
  • Specialized
: familia Meropidae
  • Members of the family Meropidae are admired for their vivid plumage and aerial insect-catching abilities.

Examples

  • The family Meropidae includes around twenty-seven species of bee-eaters distributed across several continents.

  • Biologists have studied the nesting habits of the family Meropidae in savannah and woodland regions.

  • Look at that beautiful family Meropidae!

  • The family Meropidae includes many species of colorful birds.

  • Biologists have studied the nesting habits of the family Meropidae in savannah and woodland regions.

  • Members of the family Meropidae are admired for their vivid plumage and aerial insect-catching abilities.

  • The family Meropidae includes around twenty-seven species of bee-eaters distributed across several continents.

Synonyms

Meropidae
vsfamily Meropidae
  • Specialized
9.9

Brightly colored birds called bee-eaters with long tails that catch flying insects

gives extra physical details and precise regional naming rather than general range

Surface Forms

family Meropidae singular
families Meropidae plural

Morphology

family + Meropidae

This is directly compositional: 'family' in the taxonomic sense combined with the proper name 'Meropidae' yields the meaning 'the taxonomic family Meropidae (bee-eaters)'. The phrase follows a standard cross-linguistic pattern for naming biological groups, so a B1 learner who knows both constituents will be able to infer the MWE meaning.

Etymology

Family Meropidae comes from an old Greek word that means 'bee-eater'. These bright, slim birds catch bees in the air and often rub them on a branch to remove the sting, so the name fits what they do.