gerbil
Americannoun
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gerbils
plural
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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:
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
He fears that with Americans' attention span at gerbil level that there is a chance that people will forget.
From Salon ● May 12, 2022
And “What actor started that gerbil rumor about that other actor out of rivalry?”
From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 11, 2022
The sensation returned so powerfully that he began wishing he could munch on a gerbil himself.
From "Jeremy Thatcher, Dragon Hatcher" by Bruce Coville
When the family returned to see what remained, there was an unexpected small piece of good news - Snowy and Fluffy, the family's two gerbils, had survived.
From BBC ● Sep. 11, 2026
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
Several delicious foods that are safe for humans can be very dangerous for pets in general – not just cats and dogs, but also birds, reptiles and pocket pets like mice, hamsters and gerbils.
From Salon ● Dec. 18, 2022
Every other classroom in Camillo Junior High had fish or hamsters or gerbils or mice.
From "The Wednesday Wars" by Gary D. Schmidt
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Get a wordDefinitions 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.
