sand rat
1
8.6
- noun
- /sænd ræt/
:
rata de arena
- The sand rat dug a burrow to escape the afternoon heat in the desert.
- a fat sand rat
Examples
-
And like the North American kangaroo rat and the North African fat sand rat, the South American plains viscacha rat also proved to have kidneys that produce highly concentrated urine.
Academic text (2003) -
Scurrying across the dunes, the sand rat foraged for seeds and roots to eat.
-
The fat sand rat looks more like a gerbil.
Academic text (2003) -
Then, in the 1980s, biologists began to study another desert denizen, the fat sand rat (Psammomys obesus) of the northern Sahara.
Academic text (2003) -
In the arid landscape, the sand rat is well-adapted to survive in harsh conditions.
Synonyms
29
1.1
A small animal like a mouse with soft fur often kept as a pet
1
6.3
A small desert animal like a mouse that hops on long hind legs and has a long tail
1
8.0
A small hopping animal that lives in deserts, often in North America and Mexico, and eats seeds
A small rodent active at night that lives in burrows and carries seeds in cheek pouches
A small burrowing mouse that lives in deserts near cacti
A small pale yellow mouse with very soft fur that lives in deserts
A small desert mouse with long back legs that jumps like a kangaroo
Surface Forms
Morphology
The noun 'sand rat' is a straightforward compound where 'sand' modifies 'rat' to indicate a rat associated with sandy or desert habitats. A B1 learner who knows both words can reliably infer a small burrowing rodent found in sandy regions, since this compounding pattern is common and cross-linguistically transparent.
Etymology
Sand rat comes from a simple picture: a small rat living in the sand, digging holes to make its home. That's why the name means 'a small animal that lives in dry or desert areas'.