gerbil
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.
Also called tamarisk gerbil. a jird, Meriones unguiculatus, that is popular as a pet.
Origin of gerbil
1- Also called sand rat.
Words Nearby gerbil
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
How to use gerbil in a sentence
In Central Asia, it appears to hang around in gerbils, while in North America, prairie dogs seem to play a key role.
The American West’s changing climate might mean more plague-carrying critters | Philip Kiefer | November 23, 2021 | Popular-Science
British Dictionary definitions for gerbil
gerbille
/ (ˈdʒɜːbɪl) /
any burrowing rodent of the subfamily Gerbillinae, inhabiting hot dry regions of Asia and Africa and having soft pale fur: family Cricetidae
Origin of gerbil
1Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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