jerboa

American  

[jer-boh-uh, jer-] / dʒərˈboʊ ə, dʒɛr- /

noun

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

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jerboa British  

/ dʒɜːˈbəʊə /

noun

1. 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

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Etymology

Origin of jerboa

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

Example Sentences

With its large ears and whiskered nose, you’d be forgiven for mistaking the jerboa for a mouse … at least from the stomach up.

From Science Magazine • Nov. 23, 2021

From those transcriptomes of mouse and jerboa feet, they were able to narrow the pool of potential genes tied to foot size down by 90%, leaving a total of 1755.

From Science Magazine • Nov. 23, 2021

Thankfully, there are enough silly baby animals in Life Story to refocus your attention, such as the jerboa, which jumps at every noise its huge ears detect.

From The Guardian • Oct. 18, 2014

A type of hopping rodent called the jerboa, native to North Africa and Asia, also has a superlong tail. 

From National Geographic

"I do not know them all, but there are the mouse, the marmot, the squirrel, the hare, the beaver, the jerboa——" "The jerboa!"

From The Swiss Family Robinson or, Adventures on a Desert Island by Wyss, Jean Rudolph