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Glite Dictionary
ursine dasyure

ursine dasyure

9.9
A small fierce animal from New Guinea that eats meat and has black fur and a long tail
  • noun
  • Australian
translation icon : dasyurus ursino
  • Researchers observed the ursine dasyure hunting insects at night in the dense forests of New Guinea.

Examples

  • The ursine dasyure is known for its aggressive nature despite its small size.

  • Unlike other marsupials, the ursine dasyure has a distinctly bear-like appearance.

  • The ursine dasyure is a fascinating creature.

  • Have you ever seen an ursine dasyure in the wild?

  • Researchers observed the ursine dasyure hunting insects at night in the dense forests of New Guinea.

  • The ursine dasyure is known for its aggressive nature despite its small size.

  • Unlike other marsupials, the ursine dasyure has a distinctly bear-like appearance.

Surface Forms

ursine dasyure singular
ursine dasyures plural

Morphology

ursine + dasyure

The phrase is a straightforward adjective + noun composition: 'ursine' = bear-like and 'dasyure' = a small carnivorous marsupial, so a learner who knows both words can infer a dasyure with bear-like traits. This is a regular compositional pattern (modifier specifying a property of the noun) and is thus predictable and transparent to someone familiar with the constituents.

Etymology

Ursine dasyure comes from two words: ursine meaning 'bear-like' and dasyure meaning a small, fierce pouch animal. The image of a little, aggressive creature that looks a bit like a tiny bear helps explain why this name refers to the small carnivorous marsupial found in New Guinea.