Definition of Tasmanian devil in US English:
Tasmanian devil
nountazˌmānyən ˈdevəltæzˌmeɪnjən ˈdɛvəl
A heavily built marsupial with a large head, powerful jaws, and mainly black fur, found only in Tasmania. It is slow-moving and aggressive, feeding mainly on carrion.
Sarcophilus harrisii, family Dasyuridae
Example sentencesExamples
- The only substantial mammalian predator on Kangaroo Island, the Tasmanian devil, is known only from the fossil record.
- The researchers found that, pound for pound, the Tasmanian devil is the most powerful biter alive today.
- This group includes all of the pouched animals, such as opossums, kangaroos, and Tasmanian devils.
- The threatened animals include birds such as the ground parrot and eastern quoll and marsupials such as the Eastern barred bandicoot and Tasmanian devil.
- For instance, today's red kangaroos and Tasmanian devils are much smaller than their fossil counterparts.