hamster

noun

ham·​ster ˈham(p)-stər 

: any of a subfamily (Cricetinae) of small Old World rodents having very large cheek pouches

Examples of hamster in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Jellybean the hamster is one such puppet that makes complex subjects more digestible for young kids. —Elisabeth Sherman, Parents, 23 Sep. 2025

Everyone has an opinion about Rachel’s exit on the hamster wheel. —Dalton Ross, Entertainment Weekly, 12 Sep. 2025

Her group engineered hamster ovarian cells to express a target gene at different levels. —Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 9 Sep. 2025

Roughly half of all the mammal species on the planet are rodents such as rats, mice, squirrels, and hamsters and they are found on every single continent except for Antarctica. —Laura Baisas, Popular Science, 4 Sep. 2025

Word History

Etymology

German, from Old High German hamustro, of Slavic origin; akin to Old Russian choměstorŭ hamster, of Iranian origin; akin to Avestan hamaēstar- oppressor

First Known Use

1607, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing hamster

• golden hamster
• Syrian hamster

Kids Definition

hamster

noun

ham·​ster ˈham(p)-stər 

: any of various small Old World rodents with a short tail and large cheek pouches

Medical Definition

hamster

noun

ham·​ster ˈham(p)-stər 

: any of numerous Old World rodents (Cricetus or a related genus) having very large cheek pouches and including several used as laboratory animals