flying marmot
- noun
- Indian
:
marmota voladora
- The flying marmot uses a fold of skin to glide from tree to tree in its native forests.
Examples
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I spotted a flying marmot during my hike in India.
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Unlike other squirrels, the flying marmot spends much of its life in the treetops.
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Local folklore often describes sightings of the elusive flying marmot during dusk.
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The flying marmot glided gracefully between the trees.
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The flying marmot uses a fold of skin to glide from tree to tree in its native forests.
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Unlike other squirrels, the flying marmot spends much of its life in the treetops.
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Local folklore often describes sightings of the elusive flying marmot during dusk.
Synonyms
1
3.9
A small night animal that glides between trees using skin flaps
1
9.9
A large squirrel with skin flaps that let it glide between trees at night
A large red flying squirrel that glides between trees in Southeast Asian forests
A small tree animal from Asia with fur flaps between its legs that let it glide at night
How Far
- Philippine
- Indian
- Indian
1
7.4
1
3.8
- Philippine
Surface Forms
Morphology
The meaning is compositionally transparent: 'flying' modifies 'marmot' to indicate a marmot that flies or glides, so a learner who knows 'fly' and 'marmot' can infer it's a rodent that moves through the air. Although 'marmot' is a specific, perhaps less familiar animal and the exact species (e.g. flying squirrel) may differ, the overall sense is directly derivable from the constituents.
Etymology
The name flying marmot may come from a simple image: this small tree animal spreads a fold of skin and glides between trees, so it looks like a marmot that can fly. That's why the name now means 'an animal that glides between trees'.