thylacine

[ thahy-luh-sahyn, -sin ]

noun

1. a wolflike marsupial, Thylacinus cynocephalus, of Tasmania, tan-colored with black stripes across the back: probably extinct.

thylacine

/ ˈθaɪləˌsaɪn /

noun

1. an extinct or very rare doglike carnivorous marsupial, Thylacinus cynocephalus, of Tasmania, having greyish-brown fur with dark vertical stripes on the back: family Dasyuridae Also calledTasmanian tigerTasmanian wolf

Word History and Origins

Origin of thylacine¹

1830–40; < New Latin Thylacinus genus name, equivalent to thylac- (< Greek thȳ́lakos pouch) + -īnus -ine ¹

Word History and Origins

Origin of thylacine¹

C19: from New Latin thӯlacīnus, from Greek thulakos pouch, sack

Example Sentences

In recent years, scientists have aimed to clone the Tasmanian tiger or thylacine, an extinct marsupial.

From Salon

The Tasmanian tiger, a dog-sized striped carnivorous marsupial also called the thylacine, once roamed the Australian continent and adjacent islands, an apex predator that hunted kangaroos and other prey.

From Reuters

The Tasmanian tiger, also known as the thylacine, was a remarkable apex carnivorous marsupial that was once distributed all across the Australian continent and the island of Tasmania.

From Science Daily

Officially the last known Tasmanian tiger, or thylacine, died in 1936, but the species' potential survival has become an urban legend.

From Scientific American

Depending on whom you ask, the Tasmanian tiger or thylacine has either been extinct for nearly a century or has been just really good at hiding.

From New York Times