house mouse

noun

: a common nearly cosmopolitan grayish-brown mouse (Mus musculus) that usually lives and breeds about buildings, may act as a vector of diseases, and is an important laboratory animal

Examples of house mouse in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Roberts also worries that the current strain of the virus started out in wild birds but has since infected several species, including foxes, house mice, bears and domestic cats. —Katy Golvala, Hartford Courant, 19 June 2024

Last week, the federal government reported 36 more avian flu detections in house mice, as well as four more cases in domestic cats. —Lisa M. Krieger, The Mercury News, 19 June 2024

Earlier this month, house mice in New Mexico tested positive for the virus. —Gabrielle Emanuel, NPR, 14 June 2024

But that means the virus is inching closer to contact with people, since most people are more likely to encounter house mice than dairy cattle. —Alice Park, TIME, 6 June 2024

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1555, in the meaning defined above

Medical Definition

house mouse

noun

: a mouse that frequents houses

especially : a common nearly cosmopolitan grayish-brown mouse of the genus Mus (M. musculus) that lives and breeds about buildings, is an important laboratory animal, and is an important pest as a consumer of human food and as a vector of diseases