hair-tailed mole
- noun
- Specialized
- Unlike other moles, the hair-tailed mole has a distinctive furry tail.
Examples
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The hair-tailed mole is rarely seen above ground due to its subterranean lifestyle.
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Scientists are studying the habitat preferences of the hair-tailed mole in forested areas.
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The hair-tailed mole is a fascinating creature.
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Did you know the hair-tailed moles live underground?
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Researchers have observed the hair-tailed mole digging tunnels in the rich soil of the forest.
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The hair-tailed mole spends most of its life underground, making it difficult to spot in the wild.
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When studying the hair-tailed mole, scientists noted its unique tail covered in soft hair.
Synonyms
A small mole with a hairy tail that lives in forests in eastern North America
Surface Forms
Morphology
hair-tailed + mole
The meaning is directly derivable from its parts: 'hair-tailed' signals 'having a tail with hair' (hair + -tailed) and combined with 'mole' gives 'a mole with a hairy tail.' This is a regular adjective + noun composition (compare 'long-tailed', 'short-tailed') and follows a predictable morphological pattern that a B1 learner who knows the constituents can understand.
Etymology
Hair-tailed mole gets its name from the animal's look: the part hair-tailed points to a tail covered with short hairs. So the name means 'a mole with a furry tail', which makes the species easy to remember.