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hognosed skunk

hognosed skunk

8.4
A large skunk with a bare pig-like nose and a white back and tail from southwestern North America
  • noun
  • /ˈhɔɡˌnoʊzd skʌŋk/
  • US
translation icon : mofeta nariz de cerdo
  • The hognosed skunk is easily recognized by its pig-like snout and striking coloration.

Examples

  • Unlike other skunk species, the hognosed skunk prefers open habitats and grassy plains.

  • Farmers in the region sometimes spot a hognosed skunk searching for insects at night.

  • The hognosed skunk is known for its unique appearance.

  • Have you ever seen a hognosed skunk in the wild?

  • Farmers in the region sometimes spot a hognosed skunk searching for insects at night.

  • The hognosed skunk is easily recognized by its pig-like snout and striking coloration.

  • Unlike other skunk species, the hognosed skunk prefers open habitats and grassy plains.

Synonyms

hog-nosed skunk
vshognosed skunk
  • Specialized
9.8

A large skunk with a bare, pig-like snout and a white back and tail from southwestern North America

is the same name without a hyphen in modern usage
Conepatus leuconotus
vshognosed skunk
  • Specialized
9.9

A large skunk with a long nose and white back and tail from southwestern North America and Mexico

is the common everyday name rather than the scientific label
rooter skunk
vshognosed skunk
  • US
9.9

A large skunk with a long nose and a white stripe on its back and tail

is the more widely used common name across the same region
badger skunk
vshognosed skunk
  • US
8.5

A large skunk with a bare nose and white back and tail found in southwestern North America and Mexico

refers more generally to the same animal rather than that specific label
Conepatus
vshognosed skunk
  • Specialized
9.9

A group of skunks with long snouts found in the Americas

refers to a single species rather than the broader genus group

Surface Forms

Morphology

hognosed + skunk

Although 'hognosed' is not attested in the provided dictionary entry, it is transparently analyzable as 'hog‑nosed' = 'having a snout like a hog', so a learner who knows 'hog'/'nose' and 'skunk' can infer 'a skunk with a hog‑like snout'. This is a straightforward compositional animal-description pattern common cross-linguistically, so the meaning is immediately derivable by B1 learners who know the parts.

Etymology

The name hognosed skunk may come from its nose: the animal has a long, bare nose that looks like a pig's, so people called it hog, nosed, skunk. So the name describes this particular skunk with a 'pig-like nose' today.