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spotted bat

spotted bat

9.3
A large flying animal with dark fur, white spots, and very large ears from the southwestern United States
  • noun
  • /ˈspɑːtɪd bæt/
  • US
translation icon : murciélago manchado
  • The spotted bat is easily identified by the white spots on its dark fur.

Examples

  • The spotted bat is rarely seen because it prefers remote canyon habitats.

  • Researchers tracked several spotted bats using radio transmitters to study their movement patterns.

  • The spotted bat is known for its distinctive appearance.

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

  • Researchers tracked several spotted bats using radio transmitters to study their movement patterns.

  • The spotted bat is easily identified by the white spots on its dark fur.

  • The spotted bat is rarely seen because it prefers remote canyon habitats.

Synonyms

Euderma maculata
vsspotted bat
  • Specialized
9.9

A large bat with white spots and very large ears that lives in the southwestern United States

is the common English name used for that same species
jackass bat
vsspotted bat
  • US
9.9

A large night-flying animal with spotted fur and very large ears

is the usual name that stresses white spots and extremely large ears

Surface Forms

spotted bat singular
spotted bats plural

Morphology

spotted + bat

The noun phrase is directly compositional: 'spotted' (having spots) modifies 'bat' (the flying mammal), so the meaning 'a bat with spots' is immediately inferable from the constituents. This adjective+noun descriptive pattern is cross-linguistically common, so a B1 learner who knows both words will understand the basic sense even if they do not know the specific species.

Etymology

Spotted bat: The name spotted bat comes from the animal's look: a dark bat with bright white spots and very large ears, a strong image that helps people recognize it. That's why the name is used for this particular 'bat species'.