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
rodent
adjectivePeople Are Reading
Origin and Etymology of 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”
First Known Use: 1830
RODENT Defined for English Language Learners
rodent
playDefinition of rodent for English Language Learners
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: a small animal (such as a mouse, rat, squirrel, or beaver) that has sharp front teeth
RODENT Defined for Kids
rodent
playDefinition of rodent for Students
: a usually small mammal (as a squirrel, rat, mouse, or beaver) with sharp front teeth used in gnawing
Medical Dictionary
rodent
playMedical Definition of rodent
: any mammal (as a mouse or rat) of the order Rodentia
rodent
adjectiveLearn More about rodent
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Spanish Central: Translation of rodent Nglish: Translation of rodent for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of rodent for Arabic speakers Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about rodent
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