Definition

Noun: 1. A small, ferocious, carnivorous marsupial: The Tasmanian devil is a mammal native to the island of Tasmania, Australia. It is characterized by its stocky, muscular build, mostly black fur, and a long tail. It is known for its powerful jaws, loud and disturbing screeches, and aggressive feeding behavior.

Usage Examples

• Noun:
  • The Tasmanian devil is the world's largest surviving carnivorous marsupial.
  • We saw a Tasmanian devil at the wildlife sanctuary; its screech was incredibly loud.
  • Conservation efforts are crucial for protecting the Tasmanian devil from a contagious facial tumor disease.

Advanced Usage

• "to fight like a Tasmanian devil": To fight or argue with extreme ferocity and intensity.
  • The two brothers would fight like Tasmanian devils over the last piece of cake.

Variants and Related Words

• Sarcophilus harrisii (n): The scientific (Latin) name for the Tasmanian devil.
• Marsupial (n): A type of mammal, like kangaroos and koalas, where females typically carry and nurse their young in a pouch. The Tasmanian devil is a marsupial.

Synonyms

• Sarcophilus (n): The genus name, sometimes used informally.
• No direct common synonym: It is a specific animal name. Descriptive phrases like "ferocious Tasmanian marsupial" may be used.

Related Idioms

• "Tasmanian devil" as a metaphor: Used to describe a person, especially a child, who is extremely energetic, noisy, or destructive.
  • After eating all that sugar, the kids were running around like a bunch of Tasmanian devils.

Noun

1. small ferocious carnivorous marsupial having a mostly black coat and long tail