How Do You Spell MACROTOUS?

1. Macrotous is an adjective that refers to the condition or characteristic of having large ears. It is derived from the combination of the Greek words "makros," meaning large or long, and "ous" meaning having or characterized by. This term is primarily used in the biological context, particularly in reference to animals or organisms that possess unusually large ears compared to others of their species.

   In zoology and anatomy, macrotous is often employed to describe animals whose ears are relatively larger than normal, which may serve a variety of functions. One commonly cited reason for such an adaptation is enhanced hearing abilities, allowing the animal to detect sounds from further distances or to have higher sensitivity to particular frequencies. The larger surface area of the ears can help capture and amplify sound waves, enabling the animal to better locate prey, detect potential threats, or communicate with conspecifics.

   The term macrotous can also be applied to describe ear-related mutations or abnormalities observed in various organisms. These anomalies may result from genetic or environmental factors and can present structural or functional changes in the ears, including increased ear size. Such mutations are of interest to scientists, enabling them to study the impact of these changes on an organism's behavior, development, or survival.

   Overall, macrotous is a term used in the biological sciences to denote the presence of large ears in animals or organisms, highlighting their potential adaptations, functional enhancements, or morphological abnormalities.

2. In zool., long-eared.

   Etymological and pronouncing dictionary of the English language. By Stormonth, James, Phelp, P. H. Published 1874.

Common Misspellings for MACROTOUS

The word "macrotous" consists of two parts: "macro-" and "-tous".

1. "Macro-" comes from the Greek prefix "makros" meaning "large" or "long". It is commonly used in English as a prefix that denotes something large or broad in scope or size.

2. "-tous" is a suffix in English often used to form adjectives that mean "having" or "full of", derived from the Latin suffix "-tosus".

Therefore, the etymology of "macrotous" can be understood as the combination of the Greek "makros" meaning "large" and the English suffix "-tous" meaning "having" or "full of". Overall, it refers to something or someone having large ears.