Cricetus cricetus
- proper noun
- Specialized
:
Cricetus cricetus
- Did you know that Cricetus cricetus is also known as the European hamster?
Examples
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The Cricetus cricetus population has declined sharply in many countries due to habitat loss.
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Unlike pet hamsters, Cricetus cricetus is much larger and leads a solitary life.
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Researchers observed the burrowing behavior of Cricetus cricetus in the wild.
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The Cricetus cricetus is a fascinating species of rodent.
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Researchers observed the burrowing behavior of Cricetus cricetus in the wild.
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The Cricetus cricetus population has declined sharply in many countries due to habitat loss.
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Unlike pet hamsters, Cricetus cricetus is much larger and leads a solitary life.
Synonyms
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A small rodent with a short tail and big cheek pouches often kept as a pet
A large wild hamster with brown fur and a white belly from eastern Europe and parts of Asia
Surface Forms
Morphology
This is a compositional Latin binomial made from taxonomic names: both constituents denote the genus Cricetus (a type of hamster), so a learner who knows those words can infer it names a specific hamster species. Although some awareness of scientific naming conventions helps, the meaning is not idiomatic or metaphorical and is directly derivable from the parts.
Etymology
Cricetus cricetus comes from an old word for the animal 'hamster', and scientists used the same word twice (Cricetus and cricetus) when they named this species. So the name today simply means the 'European hamster'.