cuscus
cuscus Lexical Profile
cuscus Game Scores & Validity
• noun
Any of several large, nocturnal, arboreal marsupials of the family Phalangeridae, native to New Guinea, northern Australia, and surrounding islands, characterized by a stout body, thick coat, and a prehensile tail.
"During our night trek in the rainforests of New Guinea, we spotted a cuscus slowly moving through the canopy using its prehensile tail."
Word Nuance & Usage
Care should be taken not to confuse 'cuscus' (the Australasian marsupial) with 'couscous' (the North African semolina dish), as they are pronounced similarly and often mistakenly interchanged in spelling.
• Rhymes for cuscus
• Nearby Words
Word Origin & Etymology
Derived from an indigenous language of the Maluku Islands (Moluccas), adopted into English via French 'couscous' or Dutch 'koeskoes' in the early 17th century.
Usage Trend
Historical frequency of usage in published text.