Tasmanian devil

American

noun

a small, predacious marsupial, Sarcophilus harrisii, of Tasmania, having a black coat with white patches: its dwindling population is now confined to isolated areas.

Tasmanian devil British

noun

Also called: ursine dasyure. a small ferocious carnivorous marsupial, Sarcophilus harrisi, of Tasmania, having black fur with pale markings, strong jaws, and short legs: family Dasyuridae

"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

Etymology

Origin of Tasmanian devil

First recorded in 1885–90

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.

See Examples For:

Tasmanian devil

A Tasmanian devil named Mary has been found in an "unstable condition" more than two weeks after escaping her enclosure, an Australian wildlife park said Wednesday.

From Barron's ● Jun. 17, 2026

"Noel is the guy who's chained to the Tasmanian devil," Danny Eccleston, consultant editor of the Mojo magazine, once said.

From BBC ● Jul. 4, 2025

Over the past 30 years, Australia's Tasmanian devil population has been afflicted with an infectious cancer that has pushed the species to near extinction.

From Science Daily ● Mar. 28, 2024

Goldthwait dwells on the slings and arrows of fame for his yowling stage persona in the 1980s and ’90s, when he could resemble the Tasmanian devil at a dinner party.

From New York Times ● Oct. 28, 2021

There followed a description of this year’s turnip crop that would have put a Tasmanian devil to sleep.

From "Schooled" by Gordon Korman

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023