jackass bat
- noun
- /ˈdʒækˌæs bæt/
- US
:
murciélago jackass
- The jackass bat is easy to recognize by its enormous ears when spotted at dusk.
Examples
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Several jackass bats roosted in the cave near Tucson, Arizona.
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The jackass bat is known for its distinctive spots.
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Researchers are studying the behavior of the jackass bat in arid regions.
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Have you ever seen a jackass bat in the wild?
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The jackass bat is easy to recognize by its enormous ears when spotted at dusk.
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Several jackass bats roosted in the cave near Tucson, Arizona.
-
Researchers are studying the behavior of the jackass bat in arid regions.
Synonyms
A large bat with white spots and very large ears that lives in the southwestern United States
A large flying animal with dark fur, white spots, and very large ears from the southwestern United States
How Big
- Australian
1
8.2
- US
- Specialized
1
7.1
- US
Surface Forms
Morphology
The compound form signals a bat associated with a 'jackass' (donkey), so a learner who knows both words can infer it refers to a kind of bat with donkey-like features (e.g., notably large ears). However, the precise diagnostic traits (such as the spotted appearance and the specific species referent) are conventional and not fully predictable from the constituents, so the meaning is only partially transparent.
Etymology
Jackass bat may get its name from the bat's loud 'bray' that sounds like a jackass or donkey and from its very large ears that look like a donkey's. That's why the name helps you remember this large, spotted bat of the American Southwest.