murciélago
/muɾˈθjelaɡo/
The Spanish word murciélago means bat.
The word murciélago is used to refer to the nocturnal flying mammal known in English as a bat.
Which one should you use?
In Spain, murciégalo is an informal variation of the word for bat. In some parts of Latin America, the word desmodóntido is used to refer to vampire bats.
How do you pronounce it?
/muɾˈθjelaɡo/
Did you know?
- The word murciélago is a rare example of a Spanish word that contains all five vowels: a, e, i, o and u.
- The word murciélago is a linguistic 'chimera' that combines the Latin words for 'mouse' and 'blind' to create the meaning 'blind mouse'.
- The term murciélago can be used figuratively in some regions to describe a person who is secretive or only active at night.
Examples in context
- El murciélago vuela de noche.The bat flies at night.
- Vi un murciélago volando cerca de la cueva.I saw a bat flying near the cave.
- El murciélago es un animal nocturno.The bat is a nocturnal animal.
- Ese murciélago tiene alas muy grandes.That bat has very large wings.
Example conversation
Alejandro and Lucía are camping in a forest at night.
- Alejandro¡Mira! Un murciélago pasó sobre nosotros.Look! A bat flew over us.
- LucíaNo te preocupes, Alejandro, es inofensivo.Don't worry, Alejandro, it is harmless.
- AlejandroPero me asusta ver un murciélago tan cerca.But it scares me to see a bat so close.
- LucíaTranquilo, solo está buscando insectos.Calm down, it is just looking for insects.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry murciélago, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries murciélago, CC BY-SA 4.0.
