jerboa

[ jer-boh-uh, jer- ]

noun

any of various mouselike rodents of North Africa and Asia, as of the genera Jaculus and Dipus, with long hind legs used for jumping.

Origin of jerboa

1655–65; <New Latin <Arabic yarbūʿ;see gerbil

Words Nearby jerboa

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use jerboa in a sentence

In the leaping kangaroo and jerboa a shortening of the arms and lengthening of the legs appear.
Man And His Ancestor | Charles Morris
Their hind-legs are much shorter than those of the jerboa, and their tail is garnished with but a few short, stiff hairs.
The Desert World | Arthur Mangin
A double parallel to this modification is seen in the jerboa among the ungulates, and in the kangaroo among the marsupials.
The Wonders of Life | Ernst Haeckel
This fox lives chiefly on the jerboa-rat (Gerbillus Indicus) common on sandy plains.
Natural History of the Mammalia of India and Ceylon | Robert A. Sterndale
This family contains a form of rodent similar to, yet more pronounced than, the jerboa rats, of which I have already treated.
Natural History of the Mammalia of India and Ceylon | Robert A. Sterndale

British Dictionary definitions for jerboa

jerboa

/ (dʒɜːˈbəʊə) /

noun

any small nocturnal burrowing rodent of the family Dipodidae, inhabiting dry regions of Asia and N Africa, having pale sandy fur, large ears, and long hind legs specialized for jumping

Origin of jerboa

C17: from New Latin, from Arabic yarbū`

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

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