bandicoot
noun
- a certain maruspial
Wiktionary
Pronunciation: /ˈbændɪˌkuːt/ / /ˈbændiˌkut/
noun
Etymology: Ultimately from Telugu పందికొక్కు (pandikokku), from పంది (pandi, “pig, boar”) + కొక్కు (kokku, “bandicoot”); first used of Asian murids, now called bandicoot rats, thence applied to the Australian marsupials which bear some resemblance.
- Any of various small marsupials of Australia and New Guinea, some with distinctive long snouts, of the family Peramelidae.
“At the rustle of a bandicoot we noticed the upraised gleam of eyes around the fires.”
- A bandicoot rat; any of the genera Bandicota and Nesokia of rat-like rodents of southeast Asia.
verb
Etymology: Ultimately from Telugu పందికొక్కు (pandikokku), from పంది (pandi, “pig, boar”) + కొక్కు (kokku, “bandicoot”); first used of Asian murids, now called bandicoot rats, thence applied to the Australian marsupials which bear some resemblance.
- To steal growing root vegetables from a garden by digging the vegetable out but leaving the tops undisturbed.
“‘Well, the abos ‘bandicooted’ his peanuts.’”