fossa cat
- noun
- /ˈfɔsə kæt/
:
fosa
- The fossa cat is a skilled climber that preys on lemurs and other small animals.
Examples
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Researchers spent weeks in the rainforest tracking a wild fossa cat.
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Despite its name, the fossa cat is not a true feline but belongs to its own distinct family.
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The fossa cat is known for its agility.
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Many fossa cats are found in Madagascar.
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The fossa cat uses its sharp claws to climb trees and hunt for prey.
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Unlike domestic cats, the fossa cat has a longer body and a more flexible spine.
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The fossa cat is one of the top predators in Madagascar, primarily hunting lemurs.
Synonyms
A large meat-eating mammal from Madagascar that looks like a cat and hunts other animals
Surface Forms
Morphology
The phrase is compositional: 'fossa' already denotes a catlike carnivore from Madagascar and 'cat' signals a feline, so the combined label straightforwardly identifies a catlike mammal. Both constituents contribute literal, non-metaphorical meanings, so a B1 learner who knows the two words would readily infer the MWE's sense.
Etymology
Fossa cat comes from the Malagasy word 'fosa' for the animal. Early European scientists used the local name fossa and added the English word cat because the animal looks like a large cat, so today the name means a cat-like hunter from Madagascar.
