rodent

noun

ro·​dent ˈrō-dᵊnt 

1

: any of an order (Rodentia) of relatively small gnawing mammals (such as a mouse, squirrel, or beaver) that have in both jaws a single pair of incisors with a chisel-shaped edge

2

: a small mammal (such as a rabbit or a shrew) other than a true rodent

rodent adjective

Examples of rodent in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The large rodent’s disappearance sparked a coordinated search, with teams working around the clock to find her. —Alexa Robles-Gil, Smithsonian Magazine, 19 Sep. 2024

There’s also a mouse study that’s sometimes cited that found chewing on hard things changed the jaw structure of mice, but that study focused on rodents—not humans. —Korin Miller, Health, 12 Sep. 2024

In an experimental setting, the rodents developed a new skill in 24 trials, and AlphaZero took 44 million trials to master chess. —Matteo Wong, The Atlantic, 5 Sep. 2024

Before this year, most cases in the DRC were in children who presumably came in contact with an infected person or rodents that harbor the virus. —Byjon Cohen, science.org, 5 Sep. 2024

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from the base of New Latin Rodentia, order name, from neuter plural of Latin rōdent-, rōdens, present participle of rōdere "to gnaw, nibble, eat away," perhaps going back to Indo-European *Hr̥h₃d-, *Hreh₃d-, whence also Hittite ardu- "saw (off)," Sanskrit rádati "(s/he) bites, gnaws, cuts, opens"

First Known Use

1830, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing rodent

• rodent ulcer

Kids Definition

rodent

noun

ro·​dent ˈrōd-ᵊnt 

: any of an order of fairly small mammals (as mice, squirrels, or beavers) that have sharp front teeth used for gnawing

rodent adjective

Etymology

derived from Latin rodent-, rodens, a form of rodere "to gnaw" — related to erode

Medical Definition

rodent

noun

ro·​dent ˈrōd-ᵊnt 

: any mammal (as a mouse or rat) of the order Rodentia

rodent adjective