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Glite Dictionary
musteline mammal

musteline mammal

9.9
A meat-eating mammal like a weasel or otter with a long slender body
  • noun
  • /ˈmʌstɪlaɪn ˈmæməl/
  • Specialized
translation icon : mamífero mustélido
  • Otters, badgers, and weasels are all examples of musteline mammals.

Examples

  • The ferret is a domesticated musteline mammal commonly kept as a pet.

  • Many musteline mammals have long, slender bodies and sharp teeth adapted for hunting.

  • The musteline mammal is known for its agility.

  • Many people admire the beauty of the musteline mammal fur.

  • Otters, badgers, and weasels are all examples of musteline mammals.

  • The ferret is a domesticated musteline mammal commonly kept as a pet.

  • Many musteline mammals have long, slender bodies and sharp teeth adapted for hunting.

Synonyms

mustelid
vsmusteline mammal
  • Specialized
1 8.6

A small to medium mammal like a weasel or otter that has fur and eats meat

focuses more on slender bodied carnivores often valued for their fur
musteline
vsmusteline mammal
  • Specialized
9.9

An animal like a weasel, otter, badger or mink that usually hunts small animals

refers more specifically to slender carnivores prized for their fur

Surface Forms

musteline mammal singular
musteline mammals plural

Morphology

musteline + mammal

The phrase is fully compositional: 'musteline' specifies membership in the weasel family and 'mammal' denotes a warm-blooded, fur-bearing animal, so the combined meaning is directly derivable from the constituents. This follows a common head–modifier noun pattern found cross-linguistically, making it immediately understandable to a learner who knows both words.

Etymology

Musteline mammal comes from the old word mustela, which means 'weasel', so it groups animals like weasels, ferrets, and otters. That's why musteline mammal means 'a member of the weasel family'.