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

His results in rodents hint that excessive parental opioid use may alter gene expression in ways that put children at risk for the same. —Quanta Magazine, 16 Apr. 2024

Polar bears will also snack on fish, eggs, kelp, berries, reindeer, rodents and shellfish. —Olivia Munson, USA TODAY, 9 Apr. 2024

Roaches running in various places, bugs in pasta and rodents with an affinity for flour brought an inspector’s wrath down on a West Miami-Dade strip mall supermarket. —David J. Neal, Miami Herald, 7 Apr. 2024

In New Orleans, officials say the police evidence room is being overrun by the rodents. —CBS News, 4 Apr. 2024

Pyle said finding a snake in a garage, toilet, or under the foundation of an old house is common because those are the places most rodents tend to be. —Tiffani Jackson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 3 Apr. 2024

Meanwhile, the researchers were monitoring the activity of nerve cells through electrodes implanted in the rodent brains that fed data into computer programs. —Linda Carroll, NBC News, 29 Mar. 2024

But the city met stiff opposition to trapping or exterminating the rodents. —Tony Briscoe, Los Angeles Times, 11 Apr. 2024

But when males and females are present, there can be some hormonal cross-talk, especially in rodents, which can carry litters of a dozen or more pups. —Jon Hamilton, NPR, 9 Apr. 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