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

The number is what gets you off the hamster wheel of anxiety every time you see another layoff headline.

From MarketWatch • May 15, 2026

The newly named species, Cimolodon desosai, was roughly the size of a golden hamster.

From Science Daily • Apr. 27, 2026

If the desire to be released from this Hell reaches across the party line — if it’s affecting everyone, everywhere — is there any escape at all, any way off this hamster wheel?

From Salon • Dec. 21, 2025

It is a recognition that the current system has led to an ever-spinning hamster wheel of tax rise speculation.

From BBC • Nov. 24, 2025

At home, I set the hamster cage on a newspaper-covered card table in my room.

From "Red Kayak" by Priscilla Cummings