lagomorph
Americannoun
noun
Other Word Forms
- lagomorphic adjective
- lagomorphous adjective
Etymology
Origin of lagomorph
1880–85; < New Latin Lagomorpha name of the order, equivalent to Greek lagṓ ( s ) hare + morpha, neuter plural of -morphos -morph
Explanation
A lagomorph is a furry mammal that's similar to a rodent, though usually larger. Hares and rabbits are lagomorphs. Like rodents, lagomorphs have long upper teeth that grow continuously. They nibble and gnaw on things for this reason — they have to chew on relatively hard things to keep their teeth from becoming too long. Unlike rodents, lagomorphs are almost always herbivores, eating only plants. Hares and rabbits move by hopping on strong hind legs, but pikas, the other type of lagomorph, look and move more like large, tailless mice. Lagomorph comes from Greek roots meaning "hare" and "form."
Vocabulary lists containing lagomorph
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
But one of the hares journeyed a record-breaking 388 kilometers—the longest known journey of any lagomorph, a group of animals that includes rabbits, hares, and pika—researchers reported last month in Ecology.
From Science Magazine • Jan. 13, 2022
Overall, just two species of North American lagomorph are considered stable; the rest are declining because of threats such as climate change or habitat degradation from livestock grazing.
From Science Magazine • May 20, 2020
The virus is already affecting species in northern Mexico, a center of lagomorph diversity that is home to rare and endangered species such as the volcano rabbit and the Davis Mountains cottontail.
From Science Magazine • May 20, 2020
Elmer gently cradles the limp lagomorph, overcome with remorse for having destroyed the thing he loved most—the chase itself.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 20, 2016
This kind of lagomorph takes alarm when an enemy, for example, a coyote, is yet a long way off.
From A Synopsis of the North American Lagomorpha by Hall, E. Raymond (Eugene Raymond)
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
