Definition

Noun: A rare, dog-like, carnivorous marsupial (Thylacinus cynocephalus) native to Tasmania, characterized by distinctive dark stripes across its back. It is widely believed to be extinct, with the last confirmed individual dying in captivity in 1936.

Usage

The word "thylacine" is used specifically to refer to this unique marsupial species. It functions as a countable noun. * The thylacine was the largest known carnivorous marsupial of modern times. * Scientists continue to search for evidence that the thylacine might still exist in remote wilderness areas. * A preserved thylacine specimen is on display at the museum.

Advanced Usage

• "The thylacine's niche": Refers to the ecological role or position the animal occupied in its environment.
  • The extinction of the thylacine left a unique ecological niche empty in the Tasmanian ecosystem.
• "Like a thylacine": Used in similes to describe something elusive, striped, or reminiscent of the animal's appearance.
  • The shadow moved through the undergrowth, silent and striped like a thylacine.

Variants and Related Words

• Tasmanian tiger (n): The most common colloquial name for the thylacine, derived from its striped back.
• Tasmanian wolf (n): Another colloquial name, referencing its dog-like or wolf-like appearance.
• Marsupial (n): The broader biological order to which the thylacine belonged, characterized by carrying young in a pouch.

Synonyms

• Tasmanian tiger (n)
• Tasmanian wolf (n)

Related Idioms and Phrases

• "As dead as the thylacine": An idiom used to emphasize that something is completely and irrevocably finished or extinct. (Note: This is a modern, regionally specific idiom, primarily used in Australia).
  • That old business model is as dead as the thylacine.

Noun

1. rare doglike carnivorous marsupial of Tasmania having stripes on its back; probably extinct