Illustration of fruit bat
- fruit bat with fruit
fruit bat
noun
: any of a family (Pteropodidae of the suborder Megachiroptera) of often large tropical and subtropical Old World bats that feed on ripe fruit, pollen, and nectar and that usually use visual navigation rather than echolocation
called also flying fox
Examples of fruit bat in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Every year, millions of fruit bats descend on a remote Zambian national park in one of nature’s most astonishing spectacles.
—
Evie Carrick,
Travel + Leisure,
22 June 2026
Hantavirus typically spreads to humans via rodent droppings and saliva, while Ebola is often transmitted from animals such as fruit bats and porcupines.
—
Janet Loehrke,
USA Today,
2 June 2026
The family of viruses that cause it is transmitted to people from fruit bats, porcupines, and non-human primates.
—
Arthur L. Kellermann,
Forbes.com,
2 June 2026
Experts believe African fruit bats may be the source of the virus.
—
Jane Weaver,
NBC news,
29 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for fruit bat
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Evie Carrick,
Travel + Leisure,
22 June 2026
Hantavirus typically spreads to humans via rodent droppings and saliva, while Ebola is often transmitted from animals such as fruit bats and porcupines.
—
Janet Loehrke,
USA Today,
2 June 2026
The family of viruses that cause it is transmitted to people from fruit bats, porcupines, and non-human primates.
—
Arthur L. Kellermann,
Forbes.com,
2 June 2026
Experts believe African fruit bats may be the source of the virus.
—
Jane Weaver,
NBC news,
29 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for fruit bat
Cite this Entry
“Fruit bat.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/fruit%20bat. Accessed 2 Jul. 2026.
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