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Glite Dictionary
hognose bat

hognose bat

9.9
A small bat from Mexico with a long thin nose and small ears
  • noun
  • /ˈhɔɡˌnoʊz bæt/
  • US
translation icon : murciélago nariz de cerdo
  • Scientists study the hognose bat to understand how its nose helps it find food.

Examples

  • The hognose bat is one of the smallest bat species in the world.

  • A hognose bat was spotted roosting in a cave near the Mexican border.

  • The hognose bat is often found in caves.

  • Many hognose bats roost together during the day.

  • A hognose bat was spotted roosting in a cave near the Mexican border.

  • Scientists study the hognose bat to understand how its nose helps it find food.

  • The hognose bat is one of the smallest bat species in the world.

Synonyms

bat
vshognose bat
201 1.0

A small animal that flies at night and finds food by sound

is a specific small Mexican species with long slender nose and small ears
Choeronycteris mexicana
vshognose bat
  • Specialized
9.9

A small bat living in Mexico and the southwestern United States with small ears and a long thin nose

is limited in range to Mexico only

Surface Forms

hognose bat singular
hognose bats plural

Morphology

hognose + bat

Although 'hognose' is not listed in the provided dictionary entry, it is transparently analyzable as 'hog' + 'nose' meaning 'having a pig-like nose', so 'hognose bat' straightforwardly denotes a bat with a pig-like (or elongated) nose. This is a regular noun-noun compound pattern in English, so a B1 learner who knows 'hog', 'nose', and 'bat' could reasonably infer the MWE's meaning.

Etymology

The name hognose bat comes from the bat's long, pig-like nose: people thought the nose looked like a hog's nose, so they named this small bat after it. That's why the name means 'a bat with a hog-like nose'.