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 only signs of life, Charlottesville resident and journalist David McNair said, are rodents. —Zachary Hansen, AJC.com, 19 June 2026

In recent years, however, beaver reintroductions have started to become more popular in the country because these semi-aquatic rodents are amazing natural engineers. —Laura Paddison, CNN Money, 18 June 2026

In a video posted to Instagram June 13, the silhouette of a rodent can be seen running between the overhead bins and light fixtures in the first-class section of a JetBlue flight. —Drew Pittock, USA Today, 17 June 2026

The brain as a black box In the race to understand our brains, Danionella has some key advantages over other more common lab critters like rodents. —Jon Hamilton, NPR, 16 June 2026

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