aquatic mammal
1
3.4
- noun
- /əˈkwɑːtɪk ˈmæməl/
:
mamífero acuático
- Seals are fascinating aquatic mammals that can be found basking on rocky shores.
Examples
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The dolphin is a well-known aquatic mammal that is often seen performing tricks in shows.
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All it says here is 'an aquatic mammal'.
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And you probably won't wake up inside a large aquatic mammal
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Elaborated vocal ability is seen in arboreal as well as aquatic mammals.
Academic text (1995) -
One might have thought that, well, maybe whales are related to seals, or perhaps they're related to other aquatic mammals like otters.
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Whales, the largest aquatic mammals, migrate thousands of miles each year in search of food.
How Aquatic
Surface Forms
Morphology
The meaning 'a mammal that lives in water' is directly and transparently derived from combining 'aquatic' (living in or relating to water) with 'mammal' (a class of warm-blooded animals). This simple adjective + noun composition follows a regular, cross-linguistically common pattern that a B1 learner who knows both words will readily understand.
Etymology
The noun aquatic mammal links aquatic (meaning 'living in water') and mammal (an 'animal that feeds its young with milk'), creating the simple image of an animal that lives in water but is otherwise like other mammals. That's why it means 'a mammal that lives in water'.