| a stew of meat, vegetables, potatoes, etc. |
| a chattering or flighty, light-headed person. |
solenodon
either species of large shrewlike mammal found only on the islands of Cuba and Hispaniola. Solenodons have a chunky body with short, stocky legs. Various skin glands give it a goatlike odour. The elongate head has very small eyes and tapers to a long, flexible snout adorned with long whiskers. Its saliva is toxic and enters the prey as the solenodon bites with its incisors. Solenodons weigh 800 to 1,100 grams (1.8 to 2.4 pounds) and have a body 28 to 39 cm (11 to 15 inches) long and a shorter tail of 18 to 26 cm. The coarse fur is dark brown to reddish brown or blackish on the head and back and whitish or buff on the sides. The tail and feet are scantily haired.
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