atherurus
|a-the-ru-rus|
🇺🇸
/ˌæθəˈrʊrəs/
🇬🇧
/ˌæθəˈruːrəs/
bristle-tailed (porcupine) genus
Etymology
'atherurus' originates from Greek, specifically the words 'athēr' and 'oura', where 'athēr' meant 'awn' or 'bristle' and 'oura' meant 'tail'.
'atherurus' was formed in Neo-Latin taxonomic usage as a scientific genus name and has been adopted directly into zoological nomenclature as 'Atherurus'.
Initially it literally meant 'bristle-tail' (a tail like an awn or bristle); this descriptive sense is preserved in the modern taxonomic name.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
a genus of brush-tailed porcupines (family Hystricidae), comprising species native to parts of Asia and Africa.
The biologist published a paper on the habitat preferences of Atherurus species in Southeast Asia.
Synonyms
Last updated: 2025/11/11 03:06