kangaroo rat


noun
  1. any of various small jumping rodents of the family Heteromyidae, of Mexico and the western U.S.

  2. an Australian desert rodent of the genus Notomys.

Origin of kangaroo rat

1
First recorded in 1780–90

Words Nearby kangaroo rat

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use kangaroo rat in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for kangaroo rat

kangaroo rat

noun
  1. any small leaping rodent of the genus Dipodomys, related to the squirrels and inhabiting desert regions of North America, having a stocky body and very long hind legs and tails: family Heteromyidae

  2. Also called: kangaroo mouse any of several leaping murine rodents of the Australian genus Notomys

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