TASMANIAN DEVIL

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

IPA (US):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does Tasmanian devil mean? 

• TASMANIAN DEVIL (noun)
  The noun TASMANIAN DEVIL has 1 sense:

1. small ferocious carnivorous marsupial having a mostly black coat and long tail

  Familiarity information: TASMANIAN DEVIL used as a noun is very rare.

 Dictionary entry details 

• TASMANIAN DEVIL (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

Small ferocious carnivorous marsupial having a mostly black coat and long tail

Classified under:

Nouns denoting animals

Synonyms:

Sarcophilus hariisi; Tasmanian devil; ursine dasyure

Hypernyms ("Tasmanian devil" is a kind of...):

dasyurid; dasyurid marsupial (small carnivorous nocturnal marsupials of Australia and Tasmania)

Holonyms ("Tasmanian devil" is a member of...):

genus Sarcophilus; Sarcophilus (Tasmanian devil)

 Context examples 

This leads to hope that it may be possible to use these drugs to help Tasmanian devils.

(Human anti-cancer drugs could help treat transmissible cancers in Tasmanian devils, University of Cambridge)

Why Tasmanian devils should be particularly susceptible to the emergence of DFTs is not clear.

(Human anti-cancer drugs could help treat transmissible cancers in Tasmanian devils, University of Cambridge)

New research from the University of Cambridge identifies key anti-cancer drugs which could be trialled as a treatment for these diseases, which are threatening Tasmanian devils with extinction.

(Human anti-cancer drugs could help treat transmissible cancers in Tasmanian devils, University of Cambridge)

Transmissible cancers are incredibly rare in nature, yet have arisen in Tasmanian devils on at least two separate occasions.

(Human anti-cancer drugs could help treat transmissible cancers in Tasmanian devils, University of Cambridge)

Tasmanian devils are marsupial carnivores endemic to the Australian island of Tasmania.

(Human anti-cancer drugs could help treat transmissible cancers in Tasmanian devils, University of Cambridge)

In 2014, routine diagnostic screening revealed a second transmissible cancer in Tasmanian devils, devil facial tumour 2 (DFT2), which causes facial tumours indistinguishable to the naked eye from those caused by DFT1, and which is probably also spread by biting.

(Human anti-cancer drugs could help treat transmissible cancers in Tasmanian devils, University of Cambridge)