pipistrelle

[ pip-uh-strel, pip-uh-strel ]

noun

any of numerous insectivorous bats of the genus Pipistrellus, especially P. pipistrellus of Europe and Asia.

Origin of pipistrelle

1775–85; <French <Italian pipistrello, variant of vipistrello ≪ Latin vespertīliōn- (stem ofvespertīliō) bat. See vespertilionine

Words Nearby pipistrelle

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

How to use pipistrelle in a sentence

Pipistrel, pipistrelle, pip-is-trel′, n. a small reddish-brown bat.
Chambers's Twentieth Century Dictionary (part 3 of 4: N-R) | Various
It includes only the North American N. humeralis (crepuscularis), a bat scarcely larger than the pipistrelle.
Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 6, Slice 2 | Various
The pipistrelle feeds upon insects but will eat flesh if opportunity serves.
Natural History in Anecdote | Various
Two of the commonest species, the pipistrelle, and the Long-eared Bat are among the latter.
A Book of Natural History | Various
Like Myotis californicus this pipistrelle seemed to have a short and early foraging period.
Mammals of the San Gabriel Mountains of California | Terry A. Vaughan

British Dictionary definitions for pipistrelle

pipistrelle

/ (ˌpɪpɪˈstrɛl) /

noun

any of numerous small brownish insectivorous bats of the genus Pipistrellus, occurring in most parts of the world: family Vespertilionidae

Origin of pipistrelle

C18: via French from Italian pipistrello, from Latin vespertīliō a bat, from vesper evening, because of its nocturnal habits

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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