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

But looks can be deceiving, and people might have been wrong about what kind of rodent made the now-famous imprint. —Julia Gomez, USA Today, 16 Oct. 2025

Additionally, bags of trash or open trash cans are the perfect shelter and breeding ground for flies and rodents. —Ashlyn Needham, Southern Living, 15 Oct. 2025

And when live mice were also equipped with the naked mole-rat cGAS, aging rodents were less frail, had less gray hair and had healthier organs for longer than animals in a control group. —New Atlas, 12 Oct. 2025

As Linda literally fights with the rodent in the car (with her shrieking daughter in the backseat), it gets flung out the window and becomes roadkill. —Rachel Brodsky, Rolling Stone, 8 Oct. 2025

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