harvest mouse

noun

1. an Old World field mouse, Micromys minutus, that builds a spherical nest among the stems of grains and other plants.
2. any of several New World mice of the genus Reithrodontomys having similar habits.

harvest mouse

noun

1. a very small reddish-brown Eurasian mouse, Micromys minutus, inhabiting cornfields, hedgerows, etc, and feeding on grain and seeds: family Muridae
2. American harvest mouse any small greyish mouse of the American genus Reithrodontomys: family Cricetidae

Word History and Origins

Origin of harvest mouse¹

First recorded in 1805–15

Example Sentences

A case containing living specimens of the smallest British Mammal, the harvest mouse.

From Project Gutenberg

Geographic variation in the harvest mouse Reithrodontomys megalotis on the central Great Plains and in adjacent regions.

From Project Gutenberg

Many a foolish bewildered vole he caught, but never a harvest mouse.

From Project Gutenberg

The western harvest mouse was taken commonly in stands of tall grasses and forbs, particularly along roadways and fencerows.

From Project Gutenberg

A full-grown harvest-mouse is seldom more than four and a half inches long, of which almost one half is occupied by the tail.

From Project Gutenberg