Skip to main content
Glite Dictionary
ferret badger

ferret badger

8.8
A small animal from Southeast Asia with a long thin body and tail
  • noun
  • /ˈfɛrɪt ˈbædʒər/
  • Indian
translation icon : tejón de ferret
  • The ferret badger is commonly found in forests across Southeast Asia.

Examples

  • Unlike other badgers, the ferret badger has a slimmer body and a longer tail.

  • Researchers observed a group of ferret badgers foraging at dusk.

  • The ferret badger is known for its unique appearance.

  • Have you ever seen a ferret badger in the wild?

  • Researchers observed a group of ferret badgers foraging at dusk.

  • The ferret badger is commonly found in forests across Southeast Asia.

  • Unlike other badgers, the ferret badger has a slimmer body and a longer tail.

Synonyms

Melogale
vsferret badger
  • Specialized
9.9

A small mammal like a ferret that looks like a badger and lives in South and Southeast Asia

is the common everyday name used for these small Southeast Asian mustelids

Surface Forms

ferret badger singular
ferret badgers plural

Morphology

ferret + badger

The compound 'ferret badger' is a straightforward descriptive noun-noun combination of two animal names; a B1 learner who knows 'ferret' and 'badger' can reasonably infer it refers to a small mustelid resembling a ferret/badger. This kind of descriptive animal-naming is cross-linguistically common and follows regular English compounding, so the meaning is directly derivable from the parts.

Etymology

Ferret badger gets its name because the animal looks like a mix of a ferret and a badger. That's why the name means 'a small mammal with a long body and tail, found in Southeast Asia'.