cuscus

British  

/ ˈkʌskʌs /

noun

1. any of several large nocturnal phalangers of the genus Phalanger, of N Australia, New Guinea, and adjacent islands, having dense fur, prehensile tails, large eyes, and a yellow nose

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Etymology

Origin of cuscus

C17: New Latin, probably from a native name in New Guinea

Example Sentences

But WWF thinks that human activity, particularly from logging and making forest into farming land, is putting creatures like this Blue-eyed Spotted Cuscus in danger.

From Children's BBC • Jun. 27, 2011

An Eastern opossum, Cuscus orientalis; found also in the Moluccas, if not a distinct species.

From The Malay Archipelago, the land of the orang-utan and the bird of paradise; a narrative of travel, with studies of man and nature — Volume 1 by Wallace, Alfred Russel

Some points in the Anatomy of the Thylasine, Cuscus and Phascogale, with an account of the Comparative Anatomy of the Intrinsic Muscles and Nerves of the Mammalian Pes.

From Dante. An essay. To which is added a translation of De Monarchia. by Church, R. W. (Richard William)

This name is applied to the opossums of the genus Cuscus which the Torres Strait Islanders occasionally procure from New Guinea.

From Narrative of the Voyage of H.M.S. Rattlesnake, Commanded By the Late Captain Owen Stanley, R.N., F.R.S. Etc. During the Years 1846-1850. Including Discoveries and Surveys in New Guinea, the Louisiade Archipelago, Etc. to Which Is Added the Account of Mr. E.B. Kennedy's Expedition for the Exploration of the Cape York Peninsula. By John Macgillivray, F.R.G.S. Naturalist to the Expedition. — Volume 2 by MacGillivray, John

Of this small number four belong to the Moluccan and Australian fauna—there being two marsupials of the genus Cuscus, and two forest rats said to be allied to Australian types.

From Island Life Or the Phenomena and Causes of Insular Faunas and Floras by Wallace, Alfred Russel