rat kangaroo
- noun
- /ræt kæŋˈɡuru/
- Australian
:
canguro rata
- The rat kangaroo is a unique marsupial.
Examples
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The rat kangaroo is most active at night, foraging for roots and fungi.
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Unlike larger kangaroos, the rat kangaroo moves in quick, short hops through the underbrush.
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Scientists are studying the habitat loss of the eastern rat kangaroo in Australia.
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Look at that rat kangaroo!
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The rat kangaroo is a small marsupial native to Australia, resembling a rabbit in size.
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Among the many unique species in Australia, the rat kangaroo stands out for its rat-like appearance.
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The rat kangaroo is often found in forested areas, where it forages for roots and leaves.
Synonyms
A group of small Australian animals that carry their young in a pouch, like rat kangaroos
Small pouched mammals like rat kangaroos that live in Australia
A group of small Australian animals that are active at night and have a pouch like small kangaroos
A small Australian animal that carries its babies in a pouch and has a short nose like a kangaroo
A small Australian animal with a pouch and a long tail that hops at night
A small Australian animal that carries its babies in a pouch with long back legs and a brush-like tail
A small Australian animal with a pouch that looks like a rat but is related to kangaroos
A small Australian animal like a rat or kangaroo that carries its young in a pouch
A very small animal like a kangaroo from northeastern Australia that moves on all four legs
How Big
Surface Forms
Morphology
The compound is transparently descriptive: a 'rat kangaroo' is an animal that is kangaroo-like but rat-sized or rat-like, so the overall referent can be inferred from 'rat' + 'kangaroo'. Such descriptive animal compounds follow normal compositional patterns and are cross-linguistically common, so a B1 learner who knows both constituents can reasonably deduce the meaning.
Etymology
Rat kangaroo comes from early explorers who thought the animal looked like a small rat but moved by hopping like a kangaroo. So the name shows it is a tiny hopping animal that carries its babies in a pouch, not a real rat.