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Glite Dictionary
Australian sea lion

Australian sea lion

5.5
A large sea mammal like a seal that lives on the southern and western coasts of Australia
  • noun
  • Australian
translation icon : león marino australiano
  • The Australian sea lion is listed as a vulnerable species due to its declining population.

Examples

  • Researchers are studying the diet of the Australian sea lion to understand its feeding habits.

  • Look at that Australian sea lion!

  • During our trip to Kangaroo Island, we saw a colony of Australian sea lions basking on the beach.

  • The Australian sea lion is a unique species found in Australia.

  • The Australian sea lion is known for its playful behavior along the southern coastline of Australia.

  • Visitors to the beach were delighted to see a group of Australian sea lions basking in the sun.

  • Marine biologists study the habits of the Australian sea lion to better understand its role in the ecosystem.

Synonyms

sea lion
vsAustralian sea lion
  • US
19 1.4

A large seal with visible ears that lives in cold Pacific waters

is native to southern and western coasts of Australia rather than the northern Pacific
Zalophus lobatus
vsAustralian sea lion
  • Australian
9.9

A kind of sea lion that lives on the southern coasts of Australia

is native to the southern and western coasts of Australia

Surface Forms

Australian sea lion singular
Australian sea lions plural

Morphology

Australian + sea + lion

The phrase is a straightforward descriptive compound: 'Australian' (from Australia) + 'sea' + 'lion' denotes a sea lion associated with Australia. This compositional pattern follows normal noun phrase formation and is cross-linguistically common, so a B1 learner who knows the constituent words can infer the meaning.

Etymology

Australian sea lion is mostly literal: early people called this big, noisy sea animal a sea lion because it looked a little like a lion and lived by the water, and they added Australian to show where it was found. So the name now means 'a sea lion native to the southern and western coasts of Australia'.