mountain devil
- noun
- Australian
:
demonio de montaña
- The mountain devil uses its spiky appearance to deter predators in the harsh Australian outback.
Examples
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Scientists observed the mountain devil feeding exclusively on ants during their study.
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Many tourists hope to spot a mountain devil during their trip to central Australia.
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The mountain devil is known for its unique appearance.
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Many mountain devils thrive in the arid regions of Australia.
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Many tourists hope to spot a mountain devil during their trip to central Australia.
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Scientists observed the mountain devil feeding exclusively on ants during their study.
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The mountain devil uses its spiky appearance to deter predators in the harsh Australian outback.
Synonyms
A small spiny lizard from Australia that eats mostly ants
Surface Forms
Morphology
mountain + devil
Although the compound follows a regular noun+noun pattern, knowing 'mountain' and 'devil' does not lead a B1 learner to the specific meaning 'a small Australian spiny lizard'; 'devil' in English animal names (e.g. Tasmanian devil) does not indicate a reptile, and 'mountain' is misleading for a desert species. The referent and taxonomic information are therefore not derivable from the constituents, so learners would need prior exposure.
Etymology
Mountain devil the name likely comes from people using mountain and devil to describe the lizard's many sharp spines and strange shape. It looks like a tiny 'devil', so the name came to mean this spiky desert lizard.
