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

• rodents
  plural

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

Derived Forms

• rodent-like
  adjective
• rodentlike
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• rodents
  plural

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Etymology

Origin of rodent

1825–35; < New Latin Rodentia Rodentia

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Explanation

A rodent is any of an order of (usually) small, furry, gnawing mammals whose two pairs of front teeth — one pair in the upper jaw, and one in the lower — never stop growing. Mice, rats, and squirrels are rodents, and so are larger mammals like beavers, porcupines, and capybaras. The term rodent sometimes has a negative connotation, as people associate some rodents, especially mice and rats, with carrying diseases or being pests. But many people keep rodents, such as gerbils and hamsters, as pets. And rodents are an important part of ecosystems. Beavers build dams that create wetland habitats for fish and other creatures, and small rodents like mice are an important food source for some birds, snakes, and mammals. In traditional Chinese culture, rats are associated with cleverness, adaptability, and prosperity.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

rodent rodents

The animals, native to South America, are the world's largest rodent, and thrive in wet marshland environments.

From BBC ● Oct. 19, 2026

The bacterium still persists in natural rodent reservoirs in several regions.

From Science Daily ● Sep. 20, 2026

Lineage has already deployed odor-control spray systems, industrial air scrubbers, and fly and rodent traps.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 5, 2026

The scientists have also launched Fat Marmot Week, styled after Fat Bear Week, where the public can vote for their favourite rotund rodent in a bracket-style tournament at the end of August.

From BBC ● Aug. 5, 2026

Sometimes I thought of myself as a bug or a tiny rodent, slipping into places that the eye could not even see.

From "Milkweed" by Jerry Spinelli

Some of them are dodging rodents and pawning power tools just to stay afloat.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 1, 2026

The viper, which has two hornlike projections on its snout, feeds mainly on rodents and ground-dwelling birds.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 29, 2026

Studies of modern plague systems have shown that changes in climate can strongly affect outbreaks among wild rodents, which act as natural hosts for the bacterium.

From Science Daily ● Sep. 20, 2026

The semi-aquatic rodents were released in February as part of the National Trust's work to restore rivers, wetlands and floodplains on the 5,000-hectare site.

From BBC ● Sep. 5, 2026

I mean, once you got past the rodents and the mysterious the-building-is-falling-apart groans in the walls, there wasn’t anything to do.

From "Paper Towns" by John Green

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