mole rat

noun

: any of various burrowing Old World rodents (as of the families Bathyergidae and Muridae) that generally resemble moles in appearance and have large often protruding incisors used for digging compare naked mole rat

Examples of mole rat in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web One example that raises doubts is the fact that the blind mole rat does not see and still experiences REM sleep. Roberta McLain, Scientific American, 12 Dec. 2023 Looking at three data deficient species – the Upper Galilee Mountains blind mole rat, the Java lesser chevrotain, a hooved creature about the size of a rabbit, and the killer whale or orca – researchers determined the orca is most at risk for extinction and deserves the most immediate attention. Karen Weintraub, USA TODAY, 27 Apr. 2023 In the largest-ever effort of its kind, researchers have sequenced the DNA of 240 mammals, including humans and 42 other species of primates and unusual creatures like the Upper Galilee Mountains blind mole rat. Karen Weintraub, USA TODAY, 27 Apr. 2023 For a photographer who began his mission with that bucktoothed mole rat, Joel takes pleasure in smaller animals and insects. Joel Sartore, National Geographic, 20 Nov. 2020 See all Example Sentences for mole rat 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'mole rat.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1781, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of mole rat was in 1781

Dictionary Entries Near mole rat

Cite this Entry

“Mole rat.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/mole%20rat. Accessed 5 Nov. 2024.

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