bandicoot/ˈbændɪˌkuːt/EtymologyUltimately from Telugu పందికొక్కు (pandikokku), from పంది (pandi, “pig, boar”) + కొక్కు (kokku, “bandicoot”); first used of Asian murids, now called bandicoot rats, thence applied to the Australian marsupials which bear some resemblance.nounAny of various small marsupials of Australia and New Guinea, some with distinctive long snouts, of the family Peramelidae.“At the rustle of a bandicoot we noticed the upraised gleam of eyes around the fires.”A bandicoot rat; any of the genera Bandicota and Nesokia of rat-like rodents of southeast Asia.verbTo steal growing root vegetables from a garden by digging the vegetable out but leaving the tops undisturbed.“‘Well, the abos ‘bandicooted’ his peanuts.’”