thylacine
2 synonyms for thylacine, grouped by meaning and by how common each one is.
Noun — An extinct carnivorous marsupial that was native to Tasmania.
Synonyms
Rare, literary or technical
Precise, but they will stand out — check the sense before using one.
Tasmanian tiger
Tasmanian wolf
How to use thylacine
The word patterns that sound natural to a native speaker.
extinct thylacine
thylacine sighting
thylacine skeleton
It is the standard zoological name, while Tasmanian tiger is the more everyday name.
Etymology
The word comes from the scientific genus name Thylacinus. That name joins an Ancient Greek word meaning pouch or sack with the Latin ending -inus.
Full origin of thylacine →Frequently asked questions
What is a thylacine?
A thylacine is a carnivorous marsupial that was native to Tasmania and is now extinct. It is also known as the Tasmanian tiger.
Is the thylacine the same as the Tasmanian tiger?
Yes. Tasmanian tiger and Tasmanian wolf are other names for the thylacine.
Where does the word thylacine come from?
It comes from the genus name Thylacinus, which is built on an Ancient Greek word for a pouch or sack. The pouch refers to the animal being a marsupial.
