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fruit bat

fruit bat

5 3.7
A large flying animal that lives in warm places and eats mostly fruit at night
  • noun
  • /frut bæt/
translation icon : murciélago frugívoro
  • The fruit bats of Montserrat have had to contend with most of nature's torments.
  • nosed fruit bat
  • pig-nosed fruit bat
  • fruit bat populations

Examples

  • And we were able to capture nearly three and a half times more fruit bats last summer than we had during the peak of volcanic activity in 1997.

    Academic text (2003)
  • Many fruit bat populations suffered primarily because there was nowhere for them to go.

    Academic text (2003)
  • I was raised by African fruit bats.

  • The most likely source of horse infection was fruit bats.

    Academic text (2015)
  • My 2002 census of Montserrat's fruit bats followed the wettest spring since 1995.

    Academic text (2003)
  • Since that time, the fruit-bat population has rebounded and stabilized, but not without complications.

    Academic text (2003)
  • In Malaysia, a virus called Nipah spilled over from fruit bats in 1998.

    Blog text (29)
  • The rain, the dramatic rejuvenation of Montserrat's remaining forested areas, and a great increase in fruit bat populations are all most welcome.

    Academic text (2003)
  • In Puerto Rico, fruit bat populations could abandon hurricane-damaged forests and disperse across a larger landmass into unscathed areas.

    Academic text (2003)
  • The fruit bat hangs upside down in the tree, eating a ripe mango.

Synonyms

megabat
vsfruit bat
  • Specialized
1 8.1

A large bat that eats fruit and lives in warm areas

is the everyday label for large fruit-eating bats in warm regions
flying fox
vsfruit bat
  • Australian
1 8.2

A large bat that eats fruit and has a face like a fox and long wings

covers large fruit-eating bats generally, not just the foxlike form
Pteropus
vsfruit bat
  • Specialized
9.9

A large fruit bat with a face like a fox that lives in tropical regions

is the broader common term for similar large tropical fruit-eating bats
Pteropus capestratus
vsfruit bat
  • Specialized
9.9

A large fruit-eating bat from Southeast Asia that is active at night

is the general category for such large fruit-eating tropical bats
Nyctimene
vsfruit bat
  • Specialized
9.9

A group of fruit bats from New Guinea and nearby islands with tube-shaped nostrils

is the broad descriptor that does not highlight tubular nostrils
tube-nosed fruit bat
vsfruit bat
  • Australian
9.5

A bat that eats fruit and has tube-shaped nostrils that point away from each other

is the general name that does not stress that nostril shape
tube-nosed bat
vsfruit bat
  • Australian
9.8

A fruit bat with nostrils that stick out like small tubes

is the wider term that focuses on diet and region, not nostril form
harpy bat
vsfruit bat
  • Australian
9.9

A fruit-eating bat with tube-shaped nostrils that point outward

describes fruit-eating tropical bats without emphasizing nasal tubes
harpy
vsfruit bat
  • Australian
9.9

A fruit bat with nostrils shaped like tubes

is the general category concentrating on fruit diet and warm habitats
Cynopterus
vsfruit bat
  • Specialized
9.9

A group of short-nosed fruit bats found in South and Southeast Asia

is the broader term that does not single out short noses
Cynopterus sphinx
vsfruit bat
  • Specialized
9.9

A bat that eats fruit and lives in South and Southeast Asia

is the general label for large tropical fruit-eating bats rather than one species

Surface Forms

fruit bat singular
fruit bats plural

Morphology

fruit + bat

The noun–noun compound 'fruit bat' is fully compositional: it denotes a bat that eats fruit, so a learner who knows 'fruit' and 'bat' can readily deduce the meaning. This straightforward modifier-head pattern is cross-linguistically common and follows normal English compounding, making the expression immediately comprehensible to B1 learners.

Etymology

Fruit bat: The name fruit bat comes from a simple image: a bat that eats fruit, often feeding on mangoes or figs at night. So the name means 'a bat that eats fruit' and helps you remember what this animal eats.