deer mouse

American  

noun

1. white-footed mouse.

---

deer mouse British  

noun

1. any of various mice of the genus Peromyscus, esp P. maniculatus, of North and Central America, having brownish fur with white underparts: family Cricetidae See also white-footed mouse

---

Etymology

Origin of deer mouse

An Americanism dating back to 1825–35

Example Sentences

“We believe that deer mouse numbers are high this year in Mammoth, and probably elsewhere in the Eastern Sierra,” he said.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 10, 2025

Whereas the deer mouse is promiscuous -- even a single litter of pups can have four different fathers -- the oldfield mouse mates for life.

From Science Daily • May 15, 2024

A deer mouse, temporarily captured for a behavioral test before being rereleased to the grounds of a study site at the University of Maine in late October.Credit...

From New York Times • Nov. 25, 2022

Figure 37.1 In the southwestern United States, rainy weather causes an increase in production of pinyon nuts, causing the deer mouse population to explode.

From Textbooks • Jun. 9, 2022

She had seen the deer mouse, the creeping vole, the green-hued antlers of the white-tailed deer decaying underneath a cedar.

From "Snow Falling on Cedars: A Novel" by David Guterson