rodent

noun

ro·dent | \ ˈrō-dᵊnt

Definition of rodent

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

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This is followed by a breaking-in phase, where the realities sink in and start to blend and/or clash (see the above re: rodents, public transportation, and crying in public). — Lucie Zhang, Vogue, "What Living in New York Teaches You About Love," 7 Feb. 2019 Investigators have looked into at least two dozen threats, including one in which a senior staff member found a charred, headless rodent on his doorstep, according to an agency official. — Washington Post, "Homeland Security staff urged to lock doors, windows," 26 June 2018 Ball pythons are nocturnal, mainly solitary animals that kill their prey, which include rodents, small mammals and birds, by constriction. — Laney Ruckstuhl, BostonGlobe.com, "Unwelcome visitor slithers into Brookline playground," 9 May 2018 Pools of standing water attract rodents and mosquitoes. — Gregory B. Hladky, courant.com, "Decline Of Hartford Regional Market Linked To State Fiscal Woes," 12 June 2018 Mo Chica Ceviche-Peruvian Grill at 5704 International Drive was shut down on May 29 by an inspector because of evidence of roaches, rodents and small flying insects in the kitchen area. — Kyle Arnold, OrlandoSentinel.com, "7 Orlando-area restaurants fail health inspections, closed because of roaches, rodents and other pests," 5 June 2018 American also prohibited a dozen types of animals from being considered emotional-support animals, including amphibians, ferrets, rodents and non-household birds. — Bart Jansen, USA TODAY, "American tightens leash on comfort animals flying with passengers, following Delta and United," 14 May 2018 What percentage of the daily smorgasbord is composed of rodents and garbage compared with, say, household pets? — Louis Sahagun, latimes.com, "How do coyotes thrive in urban Southern California? The answer is not for the weak-stomached," 23 Mar. 2018 Alabama law set to drive junk cars out of Mobile's yards Junk vehicles have a reputation for driving down property values, attracting rodents and vandals wherever they are piled up. — Anna Beahm, AL.com, "North Alabama schools announce delays due to storm damage," 19 Mar. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'rodent.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

History and Etymology for rodent

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"