hamster

American  

[ham-ster] / ˈhæm stər /

noun

1. any of several short-tailed, stout-bodied, burrowing rodents, as Cricetus cricetus, of Europe and Asia, having large cheek pouches.

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hamster British  

/ ˈhæmstə /

noun

1. any Eurasian burrowing rodent of the tribe Cricetini, such as Mesocricetus auratus ( golden hamster ), having a stocky body, short tail, and cheek pouches: family Cricetidae. They are popular pets

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Usage

Where does the word hamster come from? The name for those adorable, fluffy, little chipmunk-cheeked rodents known as hamsters hails from German. Hamster was borrowed directly from the German Hamster in the early 1600s. We consider hamsters as the hipsters of the rodent world. Just because we can. For the sheer fun of wordplay. Alas, the -ster suffix in hipster is unrelated to the letters -ster in hamster. Now that you know how hamsters got their name, why not find out how some of our other most beloved pets got theirs in the slideshow: "Where Do The Words For Our Pets Come From?"

Etymology

Origin of hamster

1600–10; < German; compare Old High German hamastro, Old Saxon hamstra weevil

Explanation

A hamster is a furry little rodent that's sometimes kept as a pet in North America. Unlike gerbils and mice, which have long tails, hamsters have stubby tails and cheek pouches for storing food. In the wild, hamsters don't just use their cheeks for carrying food — they also fill them with air in order to float in the water. If you've ever kept a pet hamster, it may be strange to imagine them as wild animals, but most of these nocturnal rodents aren't domesticated. Before the adoption of the German name Hamster, the English word for these cute little animals was German rat.

Example Sentences

Hamster, bearded dragon, mountain lion and arthropleura also made the list.

From Washington Post • Feb. 20, 2022

Hamster owners in particular "should keep them at home", she said.

From BBC • Jan. 18, 2022

In a March 2 Behold, Jordan G. Teicher misidentified the dogs Godfrey and Hamster in their photo captions.

From Slate • Mar. 6, 2015

Lara Milanova is the inventor of the award-winning Hamster buggy bags which stop baby buggies from tipping backwards.

From The Guardian • Jul. 25, 2013

“Anna’s mom, the Dutch Tulip Man, Sisyphus the Hamster, I mean, just—what happens to everyone.”

From "The Fault in Our Stars" by John Green