spotted eagle ray
1
7.5
- noun
- /ˈspɑːtɪd ˈiːɡl reɪ/
:
raya águila manchada
- Diving in the warm seas, I was thrilled to see a spotted eagle ray swimming near the coral reef.
Examples
-
The spotted eagle ray is easily recognizable by its unique pattern of white spots on a dark background.
-
From the boat to the island we've seen seals, spotted eagle rays, Pelicans, so much wildlife already.
-
While snorkeling, we spotted a magnificent spotted eagle ray gliding gracefully through the water.
Synonyms
97
4.2
A flat fish with wide fins that looks like wings
1
5.9
A large tropical sea animal with wide, winglike fins that swims gracefully
A large ray with white or yellow spots that lives in warm seas
A flat sea fish with a dark back covered in white or yellow dots
Surface Forms
Morphology
A B1 learner who knows 'spotted' (having spots), 'eagle' (used here to indicate resemblance) and 'ray' (the flat fish) can compositionally infer this is a type of ray that is spotted and has an eagle‑like appearance. The noun‑modifier pattern is straightforward and cross‑linguistically common, so the meaning is directly derivable from the constituents.
Etymology
The compound noun spotted eagle ray describes the animal by its look: spotted for the white or yellow dots on its back, eagle because its long, pointed fins look like a bird's wings, and ray for the flat fish it is. So the name gives an easy picture of this sea creature, which is why we call it a 'spotted eagle ray' today.