Caenolestes

noun

Cae·​no·​les·​tes

ˌsēnəˈle(ˌ)stēz,

ˌkīn-

: a genus (the type of the family Caenolestidae) of small carnivorous diprotodont marsupials comprising the shrew opossums

Word History

Etymology

New Latin, from caen- + Greek lēistēs robber; akin to Latin lucrum gain

First Known Use

circa 1895, in the meaning defined above

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