: any of various small short-tailed furry-footed rodents (such as genera Lemmus and Dicrostonyx) of circumpolar distribution that are notable for population fluctuations and recurrent mass migrations
Lemmings are the locusts of mammals, and they will strip a habitat bare. Then, they begin migrating forward to find a new feeding ground, swarming over boulders, around trees, whatever stands in their way. If they run into a body of water, they try to swim across.—Natalie Angier
lemminglike
adjective
Lured by stock prices defying gravity and handsome bond yields, Americans have marched into the funds in lemminglike fashion.
—Penelope Wang and David Pauly
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Merriam-Webster unabridged
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