fruit bat

American  

noun

1. any fruit-eating bat, especially of the suborder Megachiroptera, of tropical regions throughout the Old World, typically having erect, catlike ears and large eyes adapted for night vision, and either tailless or with a rudimentary tail, the numerous species ranging in wingspan from 10 inches to 5 feet (25 centimeters to 1.5 meters).

---

fruit bat British  

noun

1. any large Old World bat of the suborder Megachiroptera , occurring in tropical and subtropical regions and feeding on fruit Compare insectivorous bat

---

Etymology

Origin of fruit bat

First recorded in 1875–80

Example Sentences

The findings, published on Tuesday, Jan. 9, 2024 in Nature Communications, point to adaptations in the fruit bat body that prevent their sugar-rich diet from becoming harmful.

From Science Daily • Jan. 9, 2024

They include a fruit bat from Guam, eight small Hawaiian birds, two fish species formerly found in Texas and Ohio, and eight varieties of mussel last seen in the Southeast.

From Los Angeles Times • Oct. 24, 2023

Among the species now considered officially extinct, there is one mammal, a fruit bat formerly found in Guam, and two species of fish.

From Washington Times • Oct. 17, 2023

Here, a fruit bat called the flying fox exists alongside mangrove trees, helping to pollinate them.

From National Geographic • Oct. 2, 2023

One night a fruit bat flew through our window, and we hid, giggling, under the covers until it was gone.

From "Homeless Bird" by Gloria Whelan