bandicoot

noun ban·di·coot \ ˈban-di-ˌküt \

|Updated on: 7 Jul 2018

Definition of bandicoot

1 : any of several very large rats (genera Bandicota and Nesokia) of southern Asia destructive to crops

2 : any of various small chiefly insectivorous and herbivorous marsupial mammals (family Peramelidae or family Peroryctidae) of Australia, Tasmania, and New Guinea

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Recent Examples of bandicoot from the Web

Feral cats have been linked to the extinction of 20 species in Australia, including the lesser bilby and the desert bandicoot.

— brigit katz, Smithsonian, "Australia Builds World’s Largest Cat-Proof Fence to Protect Threatened Species," 30 May 2018
Australia is full of cute animals—wombats, bandicoots, potoroos, echidnas, wallabies, platypuses, quokkas and koalas just to name a few.

— jason daley, Smithsonian, "The Super-cute Eastern Quoll Returns to Mainland Australia," 16 Mar. 2018
In 2016, the southern brown bandicoot was also reintroduced and it was confirmed to be breeding in the park last summer.

— jason daley, Smithsonian, "The Super-cute Eastern Quoll Returns to Mainland Australia," 16 Mar. 2018
After those have been erected, locally extinct mammals like the greater bilby, burrowing bettong, Western quoll, and Western barred bandicoot, will be reintroduced.

— elaina zachos, National Geographic, "'Extinct' Marsupial Rediscovered in Parts of Australia," 18 Dec. 2017
From Buley Rockhole, take the two-mile Florence Creek Walk through the monsoon rainforest and spot a range of wildlife, from unique bird species such as kingfishers and fairy-wrens, to bandicoots (small terrestrial marsupials).

— Smithsonian, "Discover more of the Northern Territory's Top End.," 7 Apr. 2017
Participants regularly see active nocturnal snakes, lizards, possums, bandicoots, birds, insects, and other wildlife.

— jordi lippe-mcgraw, Condé Nast Traveler, "8 Tours That Are Better at Night," 3 Mar. 2017
From Buley Rockhole, take the two-mile Florence Creek Walk through the monsoon rainforest and spot a range of wildlife, from unique bird species such as kingfishers and fairy-wrens, to bandicoots (small terrestrial marsupials).

— Smithsonian, "Discover more of the Northern Territory's Top End.," 7 Apr. 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'bandicoot.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.