bats
Americanadjective
adjective
Etymology
Origin of bats
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Scientists believe African fruit bats may be the source of the viruses that cause Ebola, according to the CDC.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 18, 2026
Ebola viruses normally infect animals, typically fruit bats, but outbreaks among humans can sometimes start when people eat or handle infected animals.
From BBC • May 18, 2026
Most Ebola spillover events, which is when a virus like Ebola is transmitted to humans, occur in miners working deep in caves where bats live.
From MarketWatch • May 17, 2026
Ebola, believed to have originated in bats, is a deadly viral disease spread through direct contact with bodily fluids.
From Barron's • May 16, 2026
“Who can be sure? But whatever the cause, the result is terrible. Sunshine is meant for men, darkness for bats and snakes and jackals and other such creatures.”
From "Nectar in a Sieve" by Kamala Markandaya
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
