noun

bandicoot

BAN-dih-koot

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Bandicoot (noun) means any of several small marsupials of Australia and New Guinea, some with a long pointed snout, belonging to the family Peramelidae. Example: “A bandicoot came out at dusk to dig through the garden bed.”

noun

Any of several small marsupials of Australia and New Guinea, some with a long pointed snout, belonging to the family Peramelidae.

"A bandicoot came out at dusk to dig through the garden bed."

"Several bandicoot species are found only in Australia and New Guinea."

"The long-nosed bandicoot uses its snout to root out insects in the soil."

A bandicoot rat, a rat-like rodent found in south-east Asia belonging to the genera Bandicota or Nesokia.

"Farmers in the region often struggle with bandicoot rats damaging stored grain."

"The bandicoot rat gnawed through the sack of stored grain overnight."

How to use bandicoot

Learner’s notes

In plain EnglishA bandicoot is a small pointy-nosed Australian marsupial, or, in a separate sense, an Asian rat-like rodent.

When to use it

The marsupial sense is the everyday one in Australian English; the rodent sense is more specialised.

Memory tip

Context tells you which animal is meant: Australia and marsupial point to one sense, Asia and rat point to the other.

Trace the full origin ↓

Common pairings

bandicoot species bandicoot rat native bandicoot long-nosed bandicoot

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C2 · Advanced serendipity Fortunate discoveries made entirely by accident.

Gen Z slang rizz Charm — the ability to attract a romantic interest.

B2 · Intermediate empathy The capacity to share another person’s feelings.

C1 · Advanced nonchalant Casually calm and relaxed; unconcerned.

Internet slang delulu Delusional — believing something against the odds.

Etymology nostalgia Greek nostos “return home” + algos “pain”.

C2 · Advanced serendipity Fortunate discoveries made entirely by accident.

Gen Z slang rizz Charm — the ability to attract a romantic interest.

B2 · Intermediate empathy The capacity to share another person’s feelings.

C1 · Advanced nonchalant Casually calm and relaxed; unconcerned.

Internet slang delulu Delusional — believing something against the odds.

Etymology nostalgia Greek nostos “return home” + algos “pain”.

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Fill the gap

Can you complete this real example?

A _____ came out at dusk to dig through the garden bed.

Etymology

The word ultimately comes from Telugu, from a term combining the words for "pig" and a word applied to a rat-like rodent. It was first used for Asian rodents now called bandicoot rats, and was later applied to the unrelated Australian marsupials because of their resemblance.

Origin: Telugu

Synonyms

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peramelid

Rhymes for bandicoot

oot foot boot root moot loot coot hoot toot soot doot zoot

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Frequently asked questions

What is a bandicoot?

A bandicoot is usually a small Australian or New Guinean marsupial, though the same word also names an unrelated Asian rodent, the bandicoot rat.

Is a bandicoot a rat?

Only in its second sense: a "bandicoot rat" is a true rodent from south-east Asia, separate from the Australian marsupial bandicoot.

Where do bandicoots live?

The marsupial bandicoots live in Australia and New Guinea, while bandicoot rats are found in south-east Asia.

What is the meaning of bandicoot?

"bandicoot" (noun) means any of several small marsupials of Australia and New Guinea, some with a long pointed snout, belonging to the family Peramelidae.