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Glite Dictionary
mastiff bat

mastiff bat

9.9
A bat with soft brown fur, folded ears, and small wings that sometimes runs on the ground
  • noun
  • /ˈmæstɪf bæt/
translation icon : murciélago mastín
  • The mastiff bat is known to occasionally run on the ground instead of just flying.

Examples

  • Unlike many other bats, mastiff bats often have folded ears and small wings.

  • Researchers observed a mastiff bat roosting in a cave near the river.

  • The mastiff bat is often found in tropical forests.

  • Have you ever seen a mastiff bat in the wild?

  • A mastiff bat can often be seen running on the forest floor in search of food.

  • The mastiff bat has unique features like folded ears and small wings that distinguish it from other bat species.

  • While many bats rely solely on flight, the mastiff bat is known for its ability to run as well.

Synonyms

free-tailed bat
vsmastiff bat
1 8.5

A small bat that flies fast, eats insects, and has a tail sticking out past the skin between its wings

has folded ears rather than leathery ones
Eumops
vsmastiff bat
  • Specialized
9.9

A group of large mastiff bats that live in the Americas

is smaller and soft chocolate brown rather than large in size
Molossidae
vsmastiff bat
  • Specialized
9.9

A family of bats called mastiff or free-tailed bats with strong bodies and long tails

is a single soft brown bat rather than a broad family group
Mexican freetail bat
vsmastiff bat
  • US
6.7

A small bat with short soft fur that migrates south in winter in the southern United States and Central America

is soft chocolate brown rather than short and velvety
pocketed freetail bat
vsmastiff bat
  • US
9.9

A small brown bat from California and northern Mexico with pockets near its tail

lacks distinctive pockets near the tail
freetailed bat
vsmastiff bat
  • Specialized
8.8

A small fast bat that eats insects and has a long tail that sticks out past its wing skin

has folded ears rather than leathery ones

Surface Forms

mastiff bat singular
mastiff bats plural

Morphology

mastiff + bat

The compound is a type-of-bat named with another animal term: if a learner knows 'mastiff' (a large, heavy dog) and 'bat', they can infer this is a bat with mastiff-like qualities (e.g. relatively large/robust), so the basic category is compositional. However, the specific descriptive details (soft-furred, chocolate-brown, folded ears, ground-running behaviour) are not predictable from the constituents, and many B1 learners may not know the breed name 'mastiff', reducing immediate transparency.

Etymology

The name mastiff bat may come from the dog mastiff, because these bats are big with a short face and sometimes 'run on the ground' like a dog. That's why people used mastiff to describe this bat, and the name now refers to this brown bat that can run as well as fly.