murine

[ myoor-ahyn, -in ]

adjective

1. belonging or pertaining to the rodent subfamily Murinae, which includes more than 500 species of mice and rats:

   pathological studies of murine viruses;

   the detection of murine odor in the attic.

noun

1. a murine rodent:

   No murines have played more vitally important roles in medical research than common house mice and brown rats.

murine

/ ˈmjʊəraɪn; -rɪn /

adjective

1. of, relating to, or belonging to the Muridae, an Old World family of rodents, typically having long hairless tails: includes rats and mice
2. resembling a mouse or rat

noun

1. any animal belonging to the Muridae

murine

/ myr′īn′ /

1. Of or relating to a rodent of the subfamily Murinae, including rats and mice.
2. Caused, transmitted, or affected by such a rodent.

Word History and Origins

Origin of murine¹

First recorded in 1600–10; from Latin mūrīnus “of mice,” equivalent to mūr- (stem of mūs “mouse”) + -īnus adjective suffix; mouse, -ine ¹

Word History and Origins

Origin of murine¹

C17: from Latin mūrīnus of mice, from mūs mouse