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

"They say wildcats live on voles. Well, voles are feeding my barn owls so if you reduce the vole population you are having an effect on the barn owls," he explained.

From BBC • Nov. 18, 2025

Aside from curlew, they pose a threat to a number of native species including the Orkney vole, short-eared owl and hen harrier.

From BBC • Apr. 21, 2025

In 2018, a locally contracted case of vole fever was reported in Skåne, more than 500 km south of the previously known southernmost incidence of the disease in Sweden, which was north of Uppsala.

From Science Daily • May 28, 2024

They isolated the virus itself from two small mammals, a red-backed vole and a shrew.

From Science Magazine • Apr. 3, 2024

It was those that the old knight encountered—big men, masked as boar, bear, vole, and manticore.

From "A Dance with Dragons" by George R. R. Martin