Main Entry:

ro·dent

Pronunciation:

\ˈrō-d^ənt\

Function:

noun

Etymology:

ultimately from Latin rodent-, rodens, present participle of rodere to gnaw; akin to Latin radere to scrape, scratch, Sanskrit radati he gnaws

Date:

1835

1 : any of an order (Rodentia) of relatively small gnawing mammals (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 (as a rabbit or a shrew) other than a true rodent

— rodent adjective