pocket mouse

American

noun

any of numerous burrowing rodents, especially of the genus Perognathus, chiefly inhabiting arid regions of the southwestern U.S. and northern Mexico, having fur-lined cheek pouches and a long tail.

pocket mouse British

noun

any small mouselike rodent with cheek pouches, of the genus Perognathus, of desert regions of W North America: family Heteromyidae

"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

Etymology

Origin of pocket mouse

An Americanism dating back to 1880–85

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.

See Examples For:

pocket mouse

By the 1970s, scientists believed that the Pacific pocket mouse had become extinct.

From NewsForKids.net ● Feb. 14, 2023

Pat is a Pacific pocket mouse, which is the smallest kind of mouse in North America.

From NewsForKids.net ● Feb. 14, 2023

At nine years and 209 days old, the Pacific pocket mouse named Pat pocketed the Guinness World Record on Wednesday, the San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance announced.

From BBC ● Feb. 9, 2023

But our limited ability to do so means we cannot go without freshwater for nearly so long as the pocket mouse.

From Scientific American ● Jun. 15, 2021

This pocket mouse is not uncommon in areas of short grass and sage in Harding County.

From Mammals of Northwestern South Dakota by Kenneth W. Andersen

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Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023