rodent

noun

ro·​dent ˈrō-dᵊnt How to pronounce rodent (audio)
1
: any of an order (Rodentia) of relatively small gnawing mammals (such as a mouse, squirrel, or beaver) that have in both jaws a single pair of incisors with a chisel-shaped edge
2
: a small mammal (such as a rabbit or a shrew) other than a true rodent
rodent adjective

Examples of rodent in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Expired food, container with rodent droppings among violations at Phoenix-area restaurants Tim La Sota, the attorney representing Voice of Surprise in the suit, said the decision is a blow to government transparency and respecting the will of citizens. Corina Vanek, The Arizona Republic, 7 Mar. 2024 After failing a re-inspection on more than 23 rodent droppings, Le Genie passed a second re-inspection on Feb. 28 well enough to re-open. David J. Neal, Miami Herald, 6 Mar. 2024 Inspectors also saw a total of 10 rodent droppings throughout the basement on Tuesday. Jacqueline Pinedo, Sacramento Bee, 1 Mar. 2024 Hawks and owls prey on rodents bounding across grassy slopes. Louis Sahagún, Los Angeles Times, 27 Feb. 2024 The choice of a groundhog as a motif feels apt, since the little rodent is primarily associated in pop culture with repetition to the point of madness, thanks to the Bill Murray comedy. Catherine Bray, Variety, 17 Feb. 2024 Plague is a disease caused by Yersinia pestis, a bacterium found in rodents and their fleas. Sara Moniuszko, CBS News, 12 Feb. 2024 When new construction goes up in an area that is heavily wooded, there’s a higher chance of coming across ticks and the animals that ticks thrive on, like rodents and deer. Alyssa Hui, Verywell Health, 23 Feb. 2024 Two species of tiny rodents have lived undetected in Australia for millions of years — until now. Brendan Rascius, Miami Herald, 23 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'rodent.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from the base of New Latin Rodentia, order name, from neuter plural of Latin rōdent-, rōdens, present participle of rōdere "to gnaw, nibble, eat away," perhaps going back to Indo-European *Hr̥h3d-, *Hreh3d-, whence also Hittite ardu- "saw (off)," Sanskrit rádati "(s/he) bites, gnaws, cuts, opens"

First Known Use

1830, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of rodent was in 1830

Dictionary Entries Near rodent

Cite this Entry

“Rodent.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/rodent. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

rodent

noun
ro·​dent ˈrōd-ᵊnt How to pronounce rodent (audio)
: any of an order of fairly small mammals (as mice, squirrels, or beavers) that have sharp front teeth used for gnawing
rodent adjective
Etymology

derived from Latin rodent-, rodens, a form of rodere "to gnaw" — related to erode

Medical Definition

rodent

noun
ro·​dent ˈrōd-ᵊnt How to pronounce rodent (audio)
: any mammal (as a mouse or rat) of the order Rodentia
rodent adjective

More from Merriam-Webster on rodent

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