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

Like Ebola, the Marburg virus is believed to originate in fruit bats and can spread between individuals through close contact with the bodily fluids of infected persons or contaminated surfaces, such as bed linens. —Jason Fields, Newsweek, 5 Dec. 2024

Orangutans, gibbons and monkeys were said to cruise through the trees on the property, and the roof to our small room was also home to short-nosed fruit bats. —Mihir Zaveri, New York Times, 25 Nov. 2024

For example, Nipah virus emerged in Malaysia from human contact with infected pigs, which had picked up the virus from fruit bats. —IEEE Spectrum, 24 Sep. 2015

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

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