western whiptail
- noun
- /ˈwɛstərn ˈwɪpˌteɪl/
- US
:
lagarto de cola de látigo occidental
- Researchers observed a western whiptail darting among sagebrush in the Nevada desert.
Examples
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Unlike some other lizards, the western whiptail is diurnal and highly active during the day.
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The western whiptail is known for its speed as it scurries across sun-baked rocks.
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The western whiptail is known for its speed.
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Look at that western whiptail!
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Researchers observed a western whiptail darting among sagebrush in the Nevada desert.
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The western whiptail is known for its speed as it scurries across sun-baked rocks.
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Unlike some other lizards, the western whiptail is diurnal and highly active during the day.
Synonyms
A fast lizard with dark markings that lives in dry places from Oregon to Baja California
Surface Forms
Morphology
The meaning 'a whiptail lizard from western regions' is directly and compositionally derived from 'western' (from the west) + 'whiptail' (a type of lizard with a long slender tail). This adjective+noun combination follows a common, transparent compounding pattern found across languages, so a B1 learner who knows both constituents would readily infer the MWE's meaning.
Etymology
Western whiptail comes from two simple images: whiptail describes the lizard's long, thin tail that flicks like a whip, and western shows it lives in the 'west'. So the name helps you picture a fast little 'lizard' with a whipping tail found in dry western areas.
