pocket rat
- noun
- /ˈpɑkɪt ræt/
- US
:
rata de bolsillo
- The pocket rat gathers seeds and stores them in its cheek pouches before returning to its burrow.
Examples
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The biologist examined the teeth and pouches of the captured pocket rat for her research.
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Some farmers consider the pocket rat a pest because it digs extensive tunnels in their fields.
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The pocket rat is known for its cheek pouches.
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Many pocket rats live in arid regions.
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The pocket rat fills its cheek pouches with food to store for later.
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In the desert, the pocket rat uses its pouches to carry nesting materials.
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While observing the pocket rat, we saw it swiftly gather seeds from the ground.
Synonyms
127
1.0
A small rodent with a short tail and big cheek pouches often kept as a pet
31
1.8
A small striped animal like a squirrel that lives on the ground and stores food in its cheeks
11
6.4
A small animal like a mouse that lives in tunnels and has cheek pouches
2
3.5
A small animal that lives in holes in the ground and often has stripes
A small animal that lives in tunnels and carries food in cheek pouches
A small burrowing animal like a mouse that has fur-lined cheek pouches and makes dirt mounds
A small animal that lives underground in grasslands and carries food in pockets in its cheeks
A small rodent active at night that lives in burrows and carries seeds in cheek pouches
A small North American mouse with cheek pouches and soft fur
A small rodent from Mexico with fur lined cheek pouches for carrying food
A large mouse from Mexico that stores food in pouches in its cheeks
A small mouse in central United States grasslands that carries food in cheek pouches
A small animal like a mouse with soft fur and pouches in its cheeks
Surface Forms
Morphology
The compound 'pocket rat' combines 'pocket' (a small hollow or pouch) with 'rat' (a rodent), so its meaning as a rodent that has cheek pouches for carrying food is directly inferable from the constituents. This straightforward noun+noun composition follows common compounding patterns and would be understandable to a B1 learner who knows both words.
Etymology
The name pocket rat may come from the animal's fur-lined cheek pouches that work like a small pocket for carrying seeds and bits for its nest. So, the name links the idea of a 'pocket' to a small rat that 'stores' food in its cheeks, which explains the word's meaning today.