Definitions
from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.
- noun Any of several stocky burrowing Australian marsupials of the family Vombatidae, somewhat resembling a small bear and feeding mainly on grass, leaves, and roots.
from The Century Dictionary.
- noun An Australian marsupial mammal of the genus Phascolomys, as P. wombat or P. ursinus. See cut under
Phascolomys .
from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.
- noun (Zoöl.) Any one of three species of Australian burrowing marsupials of the genus Phascolomys, especially the common species (
Phascolomys ursinus ). They are nocturnal in their habits, and feed mostly on roots.
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.
- noun Any of several
herbivorous , burrowingmarsupials , of the familyVombatidae , mainly found in southern and easternAustralia .
from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.
- noun burrowing herbivorous Australian marsupials about the size of a badger
Etymologies
from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License
Support
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Examples
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Yes, "I was hit by a wombat" is in the passive voice (and properly so according to Pullum, if the wombat is a "newer and less established" element).
Archive 2009-04-01 2009
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Yes, "I was hit by a wombat" is in the passive voice (and properly so according to Pullum, if the wombat is a "newer and less established" element).
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But "I was hitting the the wombat" is not only active voice, but an image of strength and muscularity.
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But "I was hitting the the wombat" is not only active voice, but an image of strength and muscularity.
Archive 2009-04-01 2009
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There is also a small, clumsy, inoffensive animal called the wombat, which is never found outside of these Australian regions.
Harper's Young People, March 2, 1880 An Illustrated Weekly Various
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(For the satisfaction of his patients, I may observe, parenthetically, that the skull and the "wombat" -- that last is a creature between a miniature pig and a very small badger -- were not precisely packed up with the sarsaparilla!)
The Caxtons — Complete Edward Bulwer Lytton Lytton 1838
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(For the satisfaction of his patients, I may observe, parenthetically, that the skull and the "wombat" -- that last is a creature between a miniature pig and a very small badger -- were not precisely packed up with the sarsaparilla!)
The Caxtons — Volume 18 Edward Bulwer Lytton Lytton 1838
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MM: A wombat is an Australian marsupial that looks like a kind of rabbit, only slightly angrier and bigger.
Mike Ragogna: Jill Scott's Video Exclusive, Plus Chatting With The Wombats and The Postelles, and More Mike Ragogna 2011
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MM: A wombat is an Australian marsupial that looks like a kind of rabbit, only slightly angrier and bigger.
Mike Ragogna: Jill Scott's Video Exclusive, Plus Chatting With The Wombats and The Postelles, and More Mike Ragogna 2011
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Anst, here we have a wonderful beastie called a wombat which eats , roots and leaves… applies to male human species as well
Cape Fear: Cycling Fashion's Reign of Terror Continues BikeSnobNYC 2009
chained_bear commented on the word wombat
According to the OED:
Any of the burrowing marsupials of the genus Phascolomys, native to South Australia and Tasmania, characterized by a thick heavy body, short legs, and a general resemblance to a small bear.
According to me:
A damn cute little furry critter.
February 7, 2007
sionnach commented on the word wombat
Ooh, I just learned that this is an acronym as well, meaning:
Waste of money, brains and time.
And let's not forget its adjectival forms phascolomian and wombastic
October 16, 2007
chained_bear commented on the word wombat
"'Now sir,' cried the Captain, striding into the great cabin, a tall, imposing figure. 'Now sir,'—addressing the wombat, one of the numerous body of marsupials brought into the ship by her surgeon...—'give it up directly, d'ye hear me, there?'
"The wombat stared him straight in the eye, drew a length of gold lace from its mouth, and then deliberately sucked it in again.
"'Pass the word for Dr Maturin,' said the Captain, looking angrily at the wombat: and a moment later, 'Come now, Stephen, this is coming it pretty high: your brute is eating my hat.'
"'So he is, too,' said Dr Maturin. 'But do not be so perturbed, Jack: it will do him no harm, at all. His digestive processes—'
"At this point the wombat dropped the hat, shuffled rapidly across the deck and swarmed up into Dr Maturin's arms, peering at close range into his face with a look of deep affection."
--Patrick O'Brian, Fortune of War, pp. 8-9
February 5, 2008
sionnach commented on the word wombat
That passage is simply wombastic.
February 5, 2008
reesetee commented on the word wombat
Truly. I must get my hands on those O'Brian books, chained_bear.
February 5, 2008
sionnach commented on the word wombat
Wombats sleep on their backs, with their little legs sticking straight up in the air.
Wombats are clever enough to use a stick as a lever to move a boulder that stands between them and a garden patch.
Wombats will destroy everything you own if you don't give them a carrot when they want a carrot.
Wombats like having their heads scratched.
Wombats are hardcore: if a dog gets into their burrow they will let it crawl onto their back and then they will crush it against the roof.
Facts gleaned from "How to Scratch a Wombat" by Jackie French and Bruce Whatley.
July 14, 2009
chained_bear commented on the word wombat
Wow. It sounds like my dog is actually a wombat. :) Well... they are both damn cute little furry critters with a demonstrated penchant for carrots and an ability to solve problems, anyhow.
July 14, 2009