vole

1 of 2

noun (1)

: any of various small rodents (Microtus and related genera) that typically have a stout body, rather blunt nose, and short ears, inhabit both moist meadows and dry uplands and do much damage to crops, and are closely related to muskrats and lemmings

vole

2 of 2

noun (2)

Examples of vole in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
Check for 1/4-inch side-by-side grooves in the plant stems that would indicate voles may be the problem. Melinda Myers, Journal Sentinel, 26 Jan. 2024 Small mammals, like mice, rabbits, and voles, make up the bulk of their diet. Hampton Bourne, Field & Stream, 22 Nov. 2023 The pen with the multitude of voles simulates a boom year. Bathsheba Demuth, The Atlantic, 4 Jan. 2024 In a lower level of the University of Alaska Museum of the North, in the specimen cabinets beneath the mammoth tusks, sits an extensive collection of voles and other rodent specimens collected from all over Alaska. Richard Grant, Smithsonian Magazine, 24 Oct. 2023 Four years later, in 2023, the team found no evidence of mink reproduction throughout the study area, and the water vole population in Norfolk and Suffolk had significantly increased, compared to in other regions where traps weren’t set. Christian Thorsberg, Smithsonian Magazine, 18 Jan. 2024 Mice and voles living on the land drew foxes and migratory raptors such as kestrels and harriers, who feasted on the cornucopia each time the grass was mowed. Cara Buckley, New York Times, 13 Dec. 2023 According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the bacteria that is known to have caused the plague, called Yersinia pestis, is transmitted through the fleas that live on mice, wood rats, voles, squirrels, groundhogs, and other rodents. Sara Novak, Discover Magazine, 27 Dec. 2023 Some creatures — like mice, shrews, and voles — spend most of their time under the snow, in subnivean tunnels in the layer between the ground and the snowpack. Sofia Quaglia, Discover Magazine, 6 Dec. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'vole.' 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

Noun (1)

earlier vole-mouse, from vole- (of Scandinavian origin; akin to Old Norse vǫllr field) + mouse; akin to Old English weald forest — more at wold

Noun (2)

French, probably from voler to fly — more at volley entry 1

First Known Use

Noun (1)

1805, in the meaning defined above

Noun (2)

1679, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of vole was in 1679

Dictionary Entries Near vole

Cite this Entry

“Vole.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/vole. Accessed 18 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

vole

noun
ˈvōl
: any of various small rodents that are closely related to the lemmings and muskrats but in general look like fat mice or rats and that are sometimes harmful to crops

Medical Definition

vole

noun
: any of various small rodents (family Cricetidae and especially genus Microtus) that typically have a stout body, rather blunt nose, and short ears, that inhabit both moist meadows and dry uplands and do much damage to crops, and that are closely related to muskrats and lemmings but in general resemble stocky mice or rats

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