rodent

noun

ro·​dent ˈrō-dᵊnt 

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 adjective

Examples of rodent in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

When hunting rodents, this may be as little as 60 milliseconds. —Laura Baisas, Popular Science, 23 Oct. 2025

The place was a dump, with paint chipping from the ceilings, floors slanted at strange angles, rodent droppings situated along the floorboards, and paper-thin walls that welcomed in bitter winter air. —Jeff Pearlman, Rolling Stone, 17 Oct. 2025

Naked mole rats live for over 30 years, roughly ten times longer than similar-sized rodents, and show an extraordinary resistance to cancer. —Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 17 Oct. 2025

Nearly 100 rodent droppings shut down convenience store Tony’s Market, 4011 West Nichols Ave. —Camila Pedrosa, Sacbee.com, 17 Oct. 2025

Word History

Etymology

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, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing rodent

• rodent ulcer

Kids Definition

rodent

noun

ro·​dent ˈrōd-ᵊnt 

: any of an order of fairly small mammals (as mice, squirrels, or beavers) that have sharp front teeth used for gnawing

rodent adjective

Etymology

derived from Latin rodent-, rodens, a form of rodere "to gnaw" — related to erode

Medical Definition

rodent

noun

ro·​dent ˈrōd-ᵊnt 

: any mammal (as a mouse or rat) of the order Rodentia

rodent adjective