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bandicoot
noun
ban·di·coot
ˈban-di-ˌküt 
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
Examples of bandicoot in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
As the foxes died, the ticks that had fed on them found another primary host—the shrewlike native bandicoot, which Australians had worked hard to reëstablish.
—
Burkhard Bilger,
New Yorker,
29 June 2026
Today, through Odonata’s breeding programs and sanctuary network, there are over 4,000 bandicoots.
—
Christopher Elliott,
Forbes.com,
21 Mar. 2026
Traditionally, mammalian biofluorescence, such as glowing fur in bare-nosed wombats and bandicoots, has been studied as a property of the animal itself.
—
Anirban Mukhopadhyay,
Scientific American,
21 Jan. 2026
Long-nosed bandicoots make their homes in forests, shrublands, grasslands, and terrestrial environments.
—
Marina Watts,
PEOPLE,
16 Jan. 2026
In August 2023, ecologists flew 66 Shark Bay bandicoots more than 1,800 miles from western Australia to Pilliga State Conservation Area, and have been closely monitoring them ever since.
—
Lauren Liebhaber
updated July 17,
Miami Herald,
17 July 2025
For example, in Western Australia, conservationists have been able to stabilize the genetic diversity of golden bandicoots by transferring some individuals from an island with a large population onto two other islands.
—
Byelizabeth Pennisi,
science.org,
29 Jan. 2025
Our examination revealed marsupial moles are a sister group to bandicoots and bilbies, with carnivorous marsupials like the Tasmanian devil being distant cousins.
—
Charles Feigin / The Conversation,
Popular Science,
23 Jan. 2025
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Burkhard Bilger,
New Yorker,
29 June 2026
Today, through Odonata’s breeding programs and sanctuary network, there are over 4,000 bandicoots.
—
Christopher Elliott,
Forbes.com,
21 Mar. 2026
Traditionally, mammalian biofluorescence, such as glowing fur in bare-nosed wombats and bandicoots, has been studied as a property of the animal itself.
—
Anirban Mukhopadhyay,
Scientific American,
21 Jan. 2026
Long-nosed bandicoots make their homes in forests, shrublands, grasslands, and terrestrial environments.
—
Marina Watts,
PEOPLE,
16 Jan. 2026
In August 2023, ecologists flew 66 Shark Bay bandicoots more than 1,800 miles from western Australia to Pilliga State Conservation Area, and have been closely monitoring them ever since.
—
Lauren Liebhaber
updated July 17,
Miami Herald,
17 July 2025
For example, in Western Australia, conservationists have been able to stabilize the genetic diversity of golden bandicoots by transferring some individuals from an island with a large population onto two other islands.
—
Byelizabeth Pennisi,
science.org,
29 Jan. 2025
Our examination revealed marsupial moles are a sister group to bandicoots and bilbies, with carnivorous marsupials like the Tasmanian devil being distant cousins.
—
Charles Feigin / The Conversation,
Popular Science,
23 Jan. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Bandicoot.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bandicoot. Accessed 6 Jul. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
bandicoot
noun
ban·di·coot
ˈban-di-ˌküt
: any of various small insect-eating and plant-eating marsupial mammals especially of Australia
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