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Glite Dictionary
long-eared bat

long-eared bat

7.5
A bat with very long ears that finds insects by sound
  • noun
  • /lɔŋ-ɪrd bæt/
translation icon : murciélago de orejas largas
  • The long-eared bat uses its oversized ears to detect the faintest sounds of insects in total darkness.

Examples

  • Researchers found a long-eared bat roosting in the attic of an old farmhouse.

  • Many long-eared bats roost in old buildings.

  • Unlike some other species, the long-eared bat is able to hear high-frequency sounds with remarkable accuracy.

  • The long-eared bat is known for its distinctive ears.

  • Researchers found a long-eared bat roosting in the attic of an old farmhouse.

  • The long-eared bat uses its oversized ears to detect the faintest sounds of insects in total darkness.

  • Many long-eared bats roost in old buildings.

Synonyms

big-eared bat
vslong-eared bat
  • Specialized
8.0

A large bat with very large ears that listens for insect sounds

is found in both Old and New Worlds rather than only the Old World

Surface Forms

long-eared bat singular
long-eared bats plural

Morphology

long-eared + bat

The meaning 'a bat with very long ears' is directly and compositionally derived from the adjective 'long-eared' (long + eared) combined with 'bat', so a learner who knows 'long' and 'ear'/'eared' can infer the referent. The adjective+noun pattern is a common, cross-linguistic descriptive construction in English, making the expression immediately comprehensible to a B1 learner who knows the constituents.

Etymology

Long-eared bat The noun long-eared bat names a bat with very long ears. Those big ears help it 'hear' faint insect sounds in the dark, so the name points to the bat's main feature.