- rodent
- \ \ see ROSTRUM
Word origins - 2ed. J. Ayto. 2005.
rodent
Look at other dictionaries:
rodent — [rōd′ nt] adj. [L rodens, prp. of rodere, to gnaw: see RAT] 1. gnawing 2. of or like a rodent or rodents n. any of a very large order (Rodentia) of gnawing mammals, including rats, mice, squirrels, and beavers, characterized by constantly growing … English World dictionary
Rodent — Ro dent, a. [L. rodens, entis, p. pr. of rodere to gnaw. See {Rase}, v. t., and cf. {Rostrum}.] 1. Gnawing; biting; corroding; (Med.) applied to a destructive variety of cancer or ulcer. [1913 Webster] 2. (Zo[ o]l.) (a) Gnawing. (b) Of or… … The Collaborative International Dictionary of English
Rodent — Ro dent, n. (Zo[ o]l.) One of the Rodentia. [1913 Webster] … The Collaborative International Dictionary of English
rodent — (n.) 1835, from Mod.L. rodentia, the order name, from L. rodentem (nom. rodens), prp. of rodere to gnaw, eat away, from PIE root *red to scrape, scratch, gnaw (Cf. Skt. radati scrapes, gnaws, radanah tooth; L. radere to scrape; Welsh rhathu … Etymology dictionary
rodent — ► NOUN ▪ a mammal of a large group (the order Rodentia) including rats, mice, and squirrels and distinguished by strong constantly growing incisors and no canine teeth. ORIGIN from Latin rodere gnaw … English terms dictionary
Rodent — Rodents Temporal range: Early Paleocene–Recent … Wikipedia
rodent — rodentlike, adj. /rohd nt/, adj. 1. belonging or pertaining to the gnawing or nibbling mammals of the order Rodentia, including the mice, squirrels, beavers, etc. n. 2. a rodent mammal. [1825 35; < NL Rodentia RODENTIA] * * * Any member of the… … Universalium
rodent — noun Etymology: ultimately from Latin rodent , rodens, present participle of rodere to gnaw; akin to Latin radere to scrape, scratch, Sanskrit radati he gnaws Date: 1835 1. any of an order (Rodentia) of relatively small gnawing mammals (as a… … New Collegiate Dictionary
rodent — UK [ˈrəʊd(ə)nt] / US [ˈroʊd(ə)nt] noun [countable] Word forms rodent : singular rodent plural rodents a type of small animal that has long sharp front teeth, for example a mouse … English dictionary
rodent — ro•dent [[t]ˈroʊd nt[/t]] adj. 1) mam belonging or pertaining to the gnawing or nibbling mammals of the order Rodentia, characterized by four continually growing incisors: includes mice, squirrels, beavers, chipmunks, and rats 2) a rodent mammal… … From formal English to slang
rodent — n. & adj. n. any mammal of the order Rodentia with strong incisors and no canine teeth, e.g. rat, mouse, squirrel, beaver, porcupine. adj. 1 of the order Rodentia. 2 gnawing (esp. Med. of slow growing ulcers). Phrases and idioms: rodent officer… … Useful english dictionary
