solenodon
[ suh-lee-nuh-don, -len-uh- ]
/ səˈli nəˌdɒn, -ˈlɛn ə- /
noun
either of two insectivores of the genus Solenodon, resembling a large shrew and having small eyes, a long and pointy snout, and a scaly tail, including the coarse-haired, reddish-brown to grayish-black S. paradoxus of Hispaniola and the finer-haired, usually darker S. cubanus of Cuba: S. paradoxus is an endangered species; S. cubanus is rare and possibly endangered.
Words nearby solenodon
solemnify, solemnity, solemnize, solenette, solenocyte, solenodon, solenogaster, solenoid, solenoidal, solent, soleplate
Origin of solenodon
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019
Examples from the Web for solenodon
The occurrence of one aberrant group (Solenodon) in the West Indies is, however, noteworthy.
The other is a peculiar insectivore (Solenodon paradoxus), the only other representatives of whose family are found in Madagascar.
British Dictionary definitions for solenodon
solenodon
/ (səˈlɛnədən) /
noun
either of two rare shrewlike nocturnal mammals of the Caribbean, Atopogale cubana (Cuban solenodon) or Solenodon paradoxus (Haitian solenodon), having a long hairless tail and an elongated snout: family Solenodontidae, order Insectivora (insectivores)
Word Origin for solenodon
C19: from New Latin, from Latin sōlēn sea mussel, razor-shell (from Greek: pipe) + Greek odōn tooth
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
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