rodent

American  

[rohd-nt] / ˈroʊd nt /

adjective

1. belonging or pertaining to the gnawing or nibbling mammals of the order Rodentia, including the mice, squirrels, beavers, etc.

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noun

1. a rodent mammal.

rodent British  

/ ˈrəʊdənt /

noun

1. 1. any of the relatively small placental mammals that constitute the order Rodentia , having constantly growing incisor teeth specialized for gnawing. The group includes porcupines, rats, mice, squirrels, marmots, etc

   2. ( as modifier )

      rodent characteristics

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rodent Scientific  

/ rōd′nt /

1. Any of various very numerous, mostly small mammals of the order Rodentia, having large front teeth used for gnawing. The teeth grow throughout the animal's life, and are kept from getting too long by gnawing. Rodents make up about half the living species of mammals, and include rats, mice, beavers, squirrels, lemmings, shrews, and hamsters.

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Other Word Forms

• rodent-like adjective
• rodentlike adjective

Etymology

Origin of rodent

1825–35; < New Latin Rodentia Rodentia

Example Sentences

I said, “There’s some sort of large rodent thing here.”

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 6, 2026

A statue of the rodent carved from local stone by artists was unveiled in Siem Reap, Cambodia on Friday, in time for the International Day for Mine Awareness on 4 April.

From BBC • Apr. 4, 2026

“With good plant growth, rodent populations are doing well, so the snakes have good food sources and warm temperatures that are triggering more surface activity.”

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 1, 2026

The actor claimed that the problems included “ongoing rodent issues” and having to make “repeated requests for repairs” for his bathroom and plumbing.

From MarketWatch • Mar. 27, 2026

“All rats can sniff out food, but Nate—” Trub pauses to beam at his rodent friend.

From "Dragons in a Bag" by Zetta Elliott