raccoon dog
- noun
- /ræˈkuːn dɔɡ/
:
perro mapache
- In Eastern Asia, the raccoon dog can often be found wandering through forests and rural areas.
Examples
-
From about the beginning of the Pleistocene, the genus Canis has had a continuous presence in Eurasia, along with various species of fox and raccoon dog.
Academic text (2008) -
This mycoplasma isolate was not antigenically related to any reference strains from dogs, cats, sheep, cattle, mice, raccoon dogs, or a Japanese badger.
Academic text (2012) -
Later, evidence of the virus was also found in raccoon dogs, ferrets, and badgers being sold in Guangdong's wildlife markets, as well as in domestic cats living in the city.
Academic text (2005) -
The raccoon dog is known for its distinctive facial markings that resemble a raccoon's.
-
Many people are surprised to learn that the raccoon dog is actually a member of the canine family.
Synonyms
A small wild dog from eastern Asia with face markings like a raccoon
Surface Forms
Morphology
raccoon + dog
The compound is directly compositional: 'raccoon' modifies 'dog' to denote a dog-like animal with raccoon-like features, so a learner who knows 'raccoon' and 'dog' can infer it refers to a dog species resembling a raccoon. This noun+noun naming pattern for animals is common cross-linguistically, making the meaning immediately accessible to B1 learners.
Etymology
Raccoon dog may come from its look: the animal has a mask-like face like a raccoon but the body of a small dog, so people named it for both animals to show that it looks like a raccoon but is really a wild dog.
