true vampire bat
- noun
- /tru ˈvæmˌpaɪər bæt/
- Specialized
:
murciélago vampiro verdadero
- The true vampire bat feeds mainly on the blood of livestock.
Examples
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Unlike fruit bats, the true vampire bat has evolved to drink blood as its primary food source.
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Researchers studied a colony of true vampire bats in Brazil’s rainforests.
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The true vampire bat is known for its unique feeding habits.
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Did you know that the true vampire bat primarily feeds on blood?
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Researchers studied a colony of true vampire bats in Brazil’s rainforests.
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The true vampire bat feeds mainly on the blood of livestock.
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Unlike fruit bats, the true vampire bat has evolved to drink blood as its primary food source.
Synonyms
3
5.1
A small flying mammal from Central and South America that drinks blood from animals
A family of bats that drink the blood of other animals
Surface Forms
Morphology
The phrase is directly compositional: 'vampire bat' denotes a bat that behaves like a vampire (i.e., feeds on blood), and 'true' simply marks it as the genuine/actual species. A B1 learner who knows the constituent words can readily infer this biological/taxonomic meaning without prior exposure, since the construction follows normal adjective + noun compounding patterns.
Etymology
The noun true vampire bat names the bat that really drinks 'blood'. The picture to remember is simple: a vampire bat makes a tiny bite and licks the 'blood', so 'true' shows these bats truly feed on blood, unlike other bats that eat fruit or insects.