New World mouse
- noun
- /nuː wɜrld maʊs/
- US
:
ratón del Nuevo Mundo
- The biologist studied the behavior of a New World mouse as it foraged for seeds in the soil.
Examples
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The forests of South America are home to many species of New World mouse.
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Unlike the common house mouse, a New World mouse may exhibit more varied color patterns.
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Scientists observed a New World mouse building its nest among the tree roots.
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The New World mouse is commonly found in forests.
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Many species of New World mice are active at night.
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In the dense jungles, the New World mouse scurries between the leaves searching for food.
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With its long tail and large ears, the New World mouse is well adapted to its environment.
Synonyms
587
1.0
A small animal with a pointed nose, small ears, and a long tail
Surface Forms
Morphology
Although the constituents 'new', 'world', and 'mouse' are individually transparent, 'New World' is a conventional geographic/historical label meaning the Americas rather than a literal 'recent world'. A B1 learner who knows the words might guess it refers to a type of mouse associated with some 'world', but they would likely not reliably infer the specific Americas-related meaning without prior exposure, so the expression is only partially transparent.
Etymology
New World mouse comes from early explorers who called the Americas the New World, so the phrase literally names a mouse from those lands. That's why today it means 'a mouse from North, Central, or South America'.