Illustration of white-footed mouse
white-footed mouse
noun
white-foot·ed mouse
ˈ(h)wīt-ˌfu̇-təd- 
: any of various largely nocturnal mice (genus Peromyscus) of North and Central America typically having whitish feet and underparts
especially
: a common woodland mouse (P. leucopus) of North America
Examples of white-footed mouse in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Lyme disease is spread by Borrelia burgdorferi, a bacteria a tick acquires when feeding on white-footed mice.
—
Seth Roeser, Twin Cities, 5 Apr. 2025
Lyme Disease Outbreaks Form A Puzzle With Many Pieces
The white-footed mouse, or Peromyscus leucopus, lies at the heart of the Lyme disease lifecycle.
—Scott Travers, Forbes.com, 5 Apr. 2025
Their Shocking Causes of Death Revealed by Authorities Hantavirus is an infectious disease that’s normally spread through contact with rodents such as deer mice, cotton rats, rice rats and the white-footed mouse.
—Vanessa Etienne, People.com, 8 Mar. 2025
Winter conditions could send house mice and white-footed mice indoors.
—Julia Jacobo, ABC News, 25 Feb. 2025
In fact, the white-footed mouse is presumably the most numerous native mammal in our state.
—Evan Moore, Charlotte Observer, 20 Feb. 2025
Vandegrift has speculated that mice might act as an intermediate host, but tests his team did of white-footed mice living near a research colony of deer infected with SARS‐CoV‑2 came back negative.
—Jon Cohen, science.org, 29 Apr. 2024
For example, white-footed mice, the main carriers of Lyme disease, have become one of the most dominant species in their habitat as other, rarer animals have disappeared—a change that might have played a role, among other factors, in driving rising rates of Lyme disease in the United States.
—Christian Thorsberg, Smithsonian Magazine, 13 May 2024
The natural reservoir for these bacteria are small mammals like the white-footed mouse.
—Joshua Rapp Learn, Discover Magazine, 6 Oct. 2023
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Seth Roeser, Twin Cities, 5 Apr. 2025
Lyme Disease Outbreaks Form A Puzzle With Many Pieces
The white-footed mouse, or Peromyscus leucopus, lies at the heart of the Lyme disease lifecycle.
—Scott Travers, Forbes.com, 5 Apr. 2025
Their Shocking Causes of Death Revealed by Authorities Hantavirus is an infectious disease that’s normally spread through contact with rodents such as deer mice, cotton rats, rice rats and the white-footed mouse.
—Vanessa Etienne, People.com, 8 Mar. 2025
Winter conditions could send house mice and white-footed mice indoors.
—Julia Jacobo, ABC News, 25 Feb. 2025
In fact, the white-footed mouse is presumably the most numerous native mammal in our state.
—Evan Moore, Charlotte Observer, 20 Feb. 2025
Vandegrift has speculated that mice might act as an intermediate host, but tests his team did of white-footed mice living near a research colony of deer infected with SARS‐CoV‑2 came back negative.
—Jon Cohen, science.org, 29 Apr. 2024
For example, white-footed mice, the main carriers of Lyme disease, have become one of the most dominant species in their habitat as other, rarer animals have disappeared—a change that might have played a role, among other factors, in driving rising rates of Lyme disease in the United States.
—Christian Thorsberg, Smithsonian Magazine, 13 May 2024
The natural reservoir for these bacteria are small mammals like the white-footed mouse.
—Joshua Rapp Learn, Discover Magazine, 6 Oct. 2023
Cite this Entry
“White-footed mouse.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/white-footed%20mouse. Accessed 3 May. 2025.
Copy CitationMedical Definition
white-footed mouse
noun
white-foot·ed mouse
ˌ(h)wīt-ˌfu̇t-əd-
: a common woodland mouse (Peromyscus leucopus) that has whitish feet and underparts and that is a reservoir for the spirochete of the genus Borrelia (B. burgdorferi) causing Lyme disease
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