rodent

See also: rôdent

English

Alternative forms

Etymology

From Latin rōdēns, rōdēnt- (“gnawer; one who gnaws”), present participle of rōdō (“I gnaw”).

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /ˈɹəʊdənt/
  • Audio (Southern England):(file)
  • Audio (US):(file)

Noun

rodent (plural rodents)

  2. A mammal of the order Rodentia, characterized by long incisors that grow continuously and are worn down by gnawing.
    • 2013 May-June, Katie L. Burke, “In the News”, in American Scientist, volume 101, number 3, page 193:
      Bats host many high-profile viruses that can infect humans, including severe acute respiratory syndrome and Ebola. A recent study explored the ecological variables that may contribute to bats’ propensity to harbor such zoonotic diseases by comparing them with another order of common reservoir hosts: rodents.
  3. (dated, bulletin board system slang, leetspeak, derogatory) A person lacking in maturity, social skills, technical competence or intelligence; lamer. [mid-1980s–mid-1990s]

Synonyms

Hyponyms

Derived terms

Translations

Adjective

rodent (not comparable)

  1. Gnawing; biting; corroding; applied to a destructive variety of cancer or ulcer.

See also

Anagrams

French

Verb

rodent

  1. third-person plural present indicative/subjunctive of roder

Anagrams

Latin

Verb

rōdent

  1. third-person plural future active indicative of rōdō
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