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Glite Dictionary
grasshopper mouse

grasshopper mouse

9.8
A small mouse from western North America that hunts insects and scorpions and makes loud howls
  • noun
  • /ˈɡræsˌhɑpər maʊs/
  • US
translation icon : ratón saltador
  • The grasshopper mouse is famous for its loud, wolf-like howl used to claim territory.

Examples

  • Did you see a grasshopper mouse in the garden?

  • Biologists study the grasshopper mouse to understand its resistance to venom from its prey.

  • Unlike most rodents, the grasshopper mouse hunts insects and even scorpions at night.

  • The grasshopper mouse hunts for insects at night.

  • The grasshopper mouse hunts insects at night, relying on its sharp senses to catch its prey.

  • Researchers studied the grasshopper mouse in its natural habitat to understand its aggressive hunting techniques.

  • Due to its carnivorous diet, the grasshopper mouse plays an important role in controlling insect populations.

Synonyms

Onychomys
vsgrasshopper mouse
  • Specialized
9.9

A small North American mouse that eats insects and other small animals

is a specific small carnivorous rodent that eats insects and shows aggressive behavior

Surface Forms

grasshopper mouse singular
grasshopper mice plural

Morphology

grasshopper + mouse

This is a regular noun+noun compound where 'grasshopper' modifies 'mouse', so a B1 learner who knows both words will infer it denotes a kind of mouse associated with grasshoppers (e.g. that eats or is linked to them). Specific biological details like carnivory or aggressive behavior are specialised facts not directly derivable, but the basic referent is transparently compositional and cross-linguistically predictable.

Etymology

Grasshopper mouse is named for what it eats: this small mouse often hunts and eats grasshoppers and other insects, so it is more like a tiny hunter than a usual mouse. That's why the name refers to a small 'meat-eating' mouse known for bold, aggressive behavior.