fruit bat

noun

: any of a family (Pteropodidae of the suborder Megachiroptera) of often large tropical and subtropical Old World bats that feed on ripe fruit, pollen, and nectar and that usually use visual navigation rather than echolocation

called also flying fox

Illustration of fruit bat

• fruit bat with fruit

Examples of fruit bat in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The snake’s feeding activities reduced the populations of other birds, native bats (like the tiny Mariana fruit bat) and lizards. —Scott Travers, Forbes, 3 Nov. 2024

Where Did Marburg Come From? Although cave-dwelling African fruit bats appear to harbor Marburg virus, the virus is stealthy. —Mark Kortepeter, Forbes, 7 Oct. 2024

The Nipah virus is transmitted to humans from animals such as fruit bats or pigs. —Sam Meredith, CNBC, 25 July 2024

Chances are your toddler is already familiar with the charming fruit bat Stellaluna thanks to the classic children's book featured in almost every public and pre-school library. —Megan Vick, EW.com, 3 Aug. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1877, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

fruit bat

noun

: any of numerous large Old World fruit-eating bats of warm regions

called also flying fox