bandicoot

noun

ban·​di·​coot ˈban-di-ˌküt How to pronounce bandicoot (audio)
1
: any of several very large rats (genera Bandicota and Nesokia) of southern Asia destructive to crops
2
: any of various small chiefly insectivorous and herbivorous marsupial mammals (family Peramelidae or family Peroryctidae) of Australia, Tasmania, and New Guinea

Illustration of bandicoot

Illustration of bandicoot
  • bandicoot 2

Examples of bandicoot in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
These examples are automatically compiled from online sources to illustrate current usage. Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
His vehicle, known as a ‘vahana,’ is the large Indian bandicoot rat, another symbol of Ganesha’s ability to overcome anything. Lex Harvey, CNN, 18 Sep. 2024 While Australia does have an impressive array of particularly charismatic examples — Tasmanian devils, kangaroos, koalas, wombats, wallabies and bandicoots, to name a few — these comprise roughly 70 percent of the world’s population, with the other 30 percent hailing from the Americas. Natasha Frost, New York Times, 18 Sep. 2023 Now Wild Deserts is using descendants of those few thousand island survivors, called Shark Bay bandicoots, in a new effort to seed a mainland bandicoot revival. Abigail Tucker, Smithsonian Magazine, 23 June 2023 In a conservation first, Australia’s eastern barred bandicoot is back from the brink of extinction. Lindsey McGinnis, The Christian Science Monitor, 19 Oct. 2021 The small nocturnal marsupial was once common throughout southwest Victoria, but habitat destruction, foxes, and feral cats nearly killed off the bandicoot. Lindsey McGinnis, The Christian Science Monitor, 19 Oct. 2021 The bandicoot begins to relax and eventually moves around the enclosure. Anthony Ham, Smithsonian Magazine, 18 Nov. 2021 Australia’s conservation efforts did see a boost last week when authorities said the bandicoot, a small furry marsupial, had been brought back from the brink of extinction on the country's mainland. NBC News, 22 Sep. 2021 Interestingly, bandicoot populations increase where devils are more prominent than cats, says Hamilton. Jason Bittel, National Geographic, 5 Oct. 2020

Word History

Etymology

Telugu pandikokku

First Known Use

1793, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of bandicoot was in 1793

Dictionary Entries Near bandicoot

Cite this Entry

“Bandicoot.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bandicoot. Accessed 7 Nov. 2024.

Kids Definition

bandicoot

noun
ban·​di·​coot ˈban-di-ˌküt How to pronounce bandicoot (audio)
: any of various small insect-eating and plant-eating marsupial mammals especially of Australia

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