gerbil
Americannoun
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any of numerous small burrowing rodents of the genus Gerbillus and related genera, of Asia, Africa, and southern Russia, having long hind legs used for jumping.
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Also called tamarisk gerbil. a jird, Meriones unguiculatus, that is popular as a pet.
noun
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of gerbil
1840–50; < French gerbille < New Latin gerbillus, diminutive of gerbo jerboa
Explanation
A gerbil is a small, mouse-like animal that's often kept as a pet. If you're thinking about adopting a gerbil, you might consider getting two — they're very sociable! Gerbil comes from the Latin genus Gerbillus and its Arabic source, yarbu. There are many different kinds of gerbils, but the Mongolian species is most commonly sold in pet stores. Native to hot climates, these burrowing rodents require bedding to tunnel through and shred, as well as a warm, dry environment to thrive. In the wild, gerbils scamper through grasslands and deserts in Asia and Africa, tunneling underground to evade predators.
Vocabulary lists containing gerbil
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
“I found that you can get a gerbil for four dollars and 99 cents,” he said.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 18, 2023
For my first experiment, I had the A.I. write a villanelle, a rather difficult poetic form, about the death of a pet gerbil.
From Slate ● Dec. 13, 2022
For me, it was about getting off the gerbil wheel of thoughts constantly spinning in my mind that made it hard to focus.
From Seattle Times ● Oct. 21, 2022
But would a win mean anyone could take their trained gerbil or rabbit to the weekly shop?
From BBC ● May 27, 2022
The dragon, perched atop one of the gerbil cages, was hissing, shrieking, and flapping its tiny wings as if it wanted to lift the whole thing into the air.
From "Jeremy Thatcher, Dragon Hatcher" by Bruce Coville
The less popular pet species — your gerbils, iguanas, and cockatoos — should be grateful.
From Salon ● Sep. 13, 2024
But he always had animals: dogs, gerbils, fish, rabbits and, most to the young Carr’s liking, cats.
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 15, 2024
Domestic rats, color-pointed gerbils, and American minks can also carry the mutation.
From National Geographic ● Oct. 27, 2023
There was a story told at his retirement about a kindergarten student who had two gerbils, both of whom were named “Mr. Sturtevant.”
From Washington Post ● Oct. 29, 2019
“You think they have gerbils on exercise wheels powering this thing?” joked Kojo.
From "The Smartest Kid in the Universe" by Chris Grabenstein
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
