bandicoot
Meaning
- A small, ground-dwelling Australian marsupial with a long pointed snout.
- (verb) To steal potatoes from the ground without disturbing the tops. Also in phrases such as 'miserable as a bandicoot' and 'bald as a bandicoot'.
Example
We've got bandicoots digging little holes all over the lawn.
Origin
From Telugu 'pandikokku', meaning 'pig-rat', originally the name of a large Indian rat.