dasyure

[ das-ee-yoor ]

noun

any of several nocturnal, carnivorous marsupials of the genus Dasyurus and related genera, of Australia, Tasmania, and nearby islands, typically having a reddish or olive-brown coat marked with white spots.
Also called ursine dasyure. any of several related animals, as the Tasmanian devil.

Origin of dasyure

1830–40; <New Latin Dasyurus name of the genus <Greek dasy-dasy- + -ouros -tailed, adj. derivative of ourá tail

Other words from dasyure

das·y·u·rine [das-i-yoor-ahyn, -in], /ˌdæs ɪˈyʊər aɪn, -ɪn/, adjective
das·y·u·roid, adjective, noun

Words Nearby dasyure

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use dasyure in a sentence

The ursine dasyure (Sarcophilus ursinus), often called the “Tasmanian Devil,” constitutes a distinct genus.
Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 7, Slice 9 | Various

British Dictionary definitions for dasyure

dasyure

/ (ˈdæsɪˌjʊə) /

noun

any small carnivorous marsupial, such as Dasyurus quoll (eastern dasyure), of the subfamily Dasyurinae, of Australia, New Guinea, and adjacent islands: See also Tasmanian devil

Origin of dasyure

C19: from New Latin Dasyūrus, from Greek dasus shaggy + oura tail; see dense

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

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