ring-tailed lemur
1
5.0
- noun
- /ˈrɪŋˌteɪld ˈliːmər/
:
lémur de cola anillada
- In Madagascar, the ring-tailed lemur is often seen jumping from tree to tree.
- a 32-year-old ring-tailed lemur
- an old ring-tailed lemur
- a year-old ring-tailed lemur
Examples
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He had a ring-tailed lemur
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The ring-tailed lemur is known for its distinctive black and white striped tail.
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A group of ring-tailed lemurs can often be found grooming each other in the sun.
Synonyms
A type of lemur from Madagascar with a long bushy tail with black and white rings
A small lemur from Madagascar with a long tail that has black and white rings
Surface Forms
Morphology
ring-tailed + lemur
The noun phrase is compositionally built: the adjective 'ring-tailed' describes a tail with rings and 'lemur' names the animal, so a learner who knows 'ring', 'tail' and 'lemur' can infer it refers to a lemur with a tail marked by rings. This follows a common adjective+noun pattern found across languages, making the meaning immediately derivable for a B1 learner.
Etymology
Ring-tailed lemur comes from the animal's long tail that has black and white rings; people used that clear picture to name it, so the name helps you remember this lemur by its striped tail.