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

Illustration of fruit bat

• fruit bat with fruit

Examples of fruit bat in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

These fruit bats are legally considered vermin in Madagascar, and are often associated with eating commercially important fruits. — Laura Baisas, Popular Science, 29 Oct. 2026

For the first time, Ooi didn't see fruit bats, a main pollinator, at his orchard during this year's flowering season. — ABC News, 5 Aug. 2026

While many species navigate by emitting high-frequency sounds and listening for the echoes, some fruit bats rely primarily on their eyesight and sense of smell to find food. — Tiffany Acosta, AZCentral.com, 24 July 2026

These high-priority henipaviruses, originating from fruit bats, spread to humans causing severe pneumonia and encephalitis. — William A. Haseltine, Forbes.com, 2 July 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1877, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for fruit bat

• begat
• bobcat
• chitchat
• doormat
• ducat
• eclat
• format
• hazmat
• muskrat
• nonfat
• polecat
• thereat

Kids Definition

fruit bat

noun

: any of numerous large Old World fruit-eating bats of warm regions

called also flying fox