vole

¹ American  

[vohl] / voʊl /

noun

1. any of several small mouselike or ratlike rodents of the genus Microtus and related genera, having short limbs and a short tail.

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vole ² American  

[vohl] / voʊl /

noun

1. Cards. the winning by one player of all the tricks of a deal.

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idioms

1. go the vole,

   1. to venture everything on the chance of great rewards.

   2. to try one after another, as a variety of occupations.

      He went the vole and finally settled on watchmaking.

vole ¹ British  

/ vəʊl /

noun

1. any of numerous small rodents of the genus Microtus and related genera, mostly of Eurasia and North America and having a stocky body, short tail, and inconspicuous ears: family Cricetidae See also water vole

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vole ² British  

/ vəʊl /

noun

1. (in some card games, such as écarté) the taking of all the tricks in a deal, thus scoring extra points

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Etymology

Origin of vole¹

1795–1805; short for volemouse field mouse, perhaps < Norwegian *vollmus, equivalent to voll field ( cf. wold ¹) + mus mouse

Origin of vole²

1670–80; < French, derivative of voler to fly < Latin volāre

Example Sentences

"So we've taken that idea and scaled it down to water vole size, which means using glitter."

From BBC • May 18, 2025

Water voles are Britain’s largest vole species, with a rounded face, blunt nose, small ears and dark brown or almost black fur.

From BBC • Aug. 21, 2024

She would have preferred naming the virus after the red-backed vole, one of the reservoir species.

From Science Magazine • Apr. 3, 2024

Link Olson, curator of mammals at the University of Alaska Museum of the North, said on Friday that tests have now discovered the virus in a 25-year-old vole specimen in the museum’s collection.

From Seattle Times • Feb. 13, 2024

She had seen the deer mouse, the creeping vole, the green-hued antlers of the white-tailed deer decaying underneath a cedar.

From "Snow Falling on Cedars: A Novel" by David Guterson