house mouse

American  

noun

1. a brownish-gray Old World mouse, Mus musculus, now common in the U.S. in or near houses.

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house mouse British  

noun

1. any of various greyish mice of the Old World genus Mus, esp M. musculus, a common household pest in most parts of the world: family Muridae

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Etymology

Origin of house mouse

First recorded in 1825–35

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

house mouse

Through comparative analysis, the team showed that similar specialized gene expression patterns are also employed by other animals -- including the house mouse -- during diapause.

From Science Daily ● May 28, 2024

“We’re the most successful mammal on the planet Earth. The house mouse is the second-most successful. Then rats probably come in third,” he says.

From Seattle Times ● Jan. 13, 2023

Subspecies of the house mouse have diverged to such an extent that when they mix, they often beget sterile males.

From New York Times ● Aug. 14, 2014

As such, they were also the first people to be bedeviled by a new pest: the grain-loving house mouse.

From Washington Post ● Oct. 14, 2013

The common house mouse by no means confines its activities to the inside of buildings, but is often found in open fields, where its depredations in shock and stack are well known.

From House Rats and Mice Farmers' Bulletin 896 by Lantz, David E.