- tree shrew
- nouninsectivorous arboreal mammal of southeast Asia that resembles a squirrel with large eyes and long sharp snout• Hypernyms: ↑placental, ↑placental mammal, ↑eutherian, ↑eutherian mammal• Hyponyms: ↑pentail, ↑pen-tail, ↑pen-tailed tree shrew• Member Holonyms: ↑Tupaiidae, ↑family Tupaiidae
* * *
noun: any of various small arboreal mammals (family Tupaiidae) of southeastern Asia that in appearance greatly resemble squirrels but may be distinguished by the very long pointed snout and sometimes by a distichous tail — compare pentail* * *
any of several insectivorous, arboreal mammals of the family Tupaiidae, of southern Asia and adjacent islands, resembling a squirrel and having a long snout.[1890-95]* * *
tree shrew nounA squirrel-shrew, any insectivorous mammal of the East Indian family Tupaiidae, squirrel-like animals related to shrews• • •Main Entry: ↑tree* * *
tree shrew,any one of a group of squirrellike, insect-eating mammals that live in trees, found in India, Borneo, and southeastern Asia.* * *
n. a small squirrellike insectivorous mammal with a pointed snout, native to Southeast Asia, esp. Borneo. ● Family Tupaiidae and order Scandentia: several genera, in particular Tupaia; tree shrews were formerly placed with either the insectivores or the primates
Useful english dictionary. 2012.