Library / English Dictionary

MARSUPIAL

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

 I. (noun) 

Sense 1

Meaning:

Mammals of which the females have a pouch (the marsupium) containing the teats where the young are fed and carried

Synonyms:

marsupial; pouched mammal

Classified under:

Nouns denoting animals

Hypernyms ("marsupial" is a kind of...):

metatherian (primitive pouched mammals found mainly in Australia and the Americas)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "marsupial"):

opossum; possum (nocturnal arboreal marsupial having a naked prehensile tail found from southern North America to northern South America)

opossum rat (terrestrial marsupials of southern South America that resemble shrews)

bandicoot (any of various agile ratlike terrestrial marsupials of Australia and adjacent islands; insectivorous and herbivorous)

kangaroo (any of several herbivorous leaping marsupials of Australia and New Guinea having large powerful hind legs and a long thick tail)

opossum; phalanger; possum (small furry Australian arboreal marsupials having long usually prehensile tails)

wombat (burrowing herbivorous Australian marsupials about the size of a badger)

dasyurid; dasyurid marsupial (small carnivorous nocturnal marsupials of Australia and Tasmania)

marsupial mole; Notoryctus typhlops; pouched mole (small burrowing Australian marsupial that resembles a mole)

Holonyms ("marsupial" is a member of...):

Marsupialia; order Marsupialia (coextensive with the subclass Metatheria)

 II. (adjective) 

Sense 1

Meaning:

Of or relating to the marsupials

Example:

marsupial animals

Classified under:

Relational adjectives (pertainyms)

Pertainym:

marsupium (an external abdominal pouch in most marsupials where newborn offspring are suckled)

Credits