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sabertooth

sabertooth

1 9.4
A large extinct cat with very long upper front teeth
  • noun
  • /ˈseɪbərˌtuθ/
  • US
translation icon : dientes de sable
  • Rather, the large population of predators such as dire wolves and sabertooth cats caused carnivores to compete intensely for food, as evidenced by heavy tooth wear.

Examples

  • In the case of the woolly mammoths and sabertooth tiger, the problems may have begun by adding a predator, in this case, humans.

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  • The large herbivores seemed to be growing quickly, and just as quickly had their numbers reduced by a range of significant carnivorous predators, including lions, dire wolves, and two species of sabertooth cats.

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  • Well, I am sick of it, Crog, stuck in the cave all day, cooking your sabertooth stew.

  • The addition of sabertooth tiger teeth, glass eyes, reptilian skin, and a slightly longer neck distinguishes it as fantastical.

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  • Remodeling your house, furs, jewelry, a fully-equipped Le Sabertooth.

  • This mass extinction was caused by newly arrived humans tipping the balance of power and competing with major predators such as sabertooth cats, the authors of the new analysis argue.

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  • And Sabertooth was a mindless brute in the first movie, but a major part of Wolverine's backstory in the X-Men origins movie.

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  • The fossil of a sabertooth shows its distinctive long, curved canine teeth.

  • Scientists believe the sabertooth hunted large herbivores during the Ice Age.

  • A sabertooth skeleton was discovered in a cave, revealing its massive size.

Synonyms

saber-toothed tiger
vssabertooth
  • US
4 7.7

A large extinct cat with long curved front teeth that lived long ago

focuses on the same extinct cat but stresses sword shaped teeth and global range

Surface Forms

sabertooth singular
sabertooths plural

Morphology

sabertooth = saber + tooth (transparent) = saber + tooth

The word is a direct compound of 'saber' (sword) + 'tooth' and plainly denotes a tooth shaped like a saber, so learners who know the components can infer the meaning.

Etymology

The word sabertooth comes from saber 'a curved sword' and tooth 'tooth', so it literally means 'sword-tooth' and paints the picture of very long, sword-like front teeth. That's why a sabertooth is the extinct big cat famous for its huge fangs.