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Glite Dictionary
marsupial rat

marsupial rat

9.9
A small animal like a mouse that eats insects and carries its young in a pouch
  • noun
  • /mɑrˈsuːpiəl ræt/
  • Australian
translation icon : rata marsupial
  • Unlike true rats, the marsupial rat carries its young in a pouch.

Examples

  • The Australian marsupial rat feeds mainly on insects in the undergrowth.

  • Biologists studied the nocturnal behavior of the marsupial rat in its natural habitat.

  • The marsupial rat is native to Australia.

  • Many marsupial rats live in burrows.

  • Biologists studied the nocturnal behavior of the marsupial rat in its natural habitat.

  • The Australian marsupial rat feeds mainly on insects in the undergrowth.

  • Unlike true rats, the marsupial rat carries its young in a pouch.

Synonyms

pouched mouse
vsmarsupial rat
  • Australian
9.4

A small animal like a mouse that carries its young in a pouch and eats insects

is the singular general term for one such small insectivorous animal
marsupial mouse
vsmarsupial rat
  • Australian
9.9

A small Australian mammal with a pouch that looks like a mouse and eats insects

is the broader term not limited to Australia or nearby regions

Surface Forms

marsupial rat singular
marsupial rats plural

Morphology

marsupial + rat

The phrase is directly compositional: 'marsupial' names a pouched mammal and 'rat' indicates a rat-like animal, so the meaning 'a marsupial that resembles a rat' is derivable from the parts. This attributive noun construction is a standard, cross-linguistic pattern in English, making it immediately comprehensible to a B1 learner who knows both words.

Etymology

The name marsupial rat comes from two words: marsupial (an animal with a 'pouch') and rat (a small rodent). The image is simple: a tiny, rat-like animal that carries its babies in a pouch, so the name refers to small marsupials that look like mice or rats but are not true rats.