rodent

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

• IPA^(key): /ˈɹəʊdənt/

rodent (plural rodents)

1. 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.

2. (dated, bulletin board system slang, leetspeak, derogatory) A person lacking in maturity, social skills, technical competence or intelligence; lamer. [mid 1980s-mid 1990s]

• gnawer

• See also Thesaurus:rodent

rodent (not comparable)

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

• agouti
• beaver
• capybara
• chinchilla
• chipmunk
• Count Branicki's mouse
• coypu
• dormouse
• gerbil
• gopher
• guinea pig
• hamster
• jerboa
• marmot
• mole rat
• mouse
• nutria
• paca
• pacarana
• porcupine
• prairie dog
• rat
• springhare
• squirrel
• viscacha

• dentro, dronte, torend

rodent

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

• dorent, dronte, endort, tondre

rōdent

1. third-person plural future active indicative of rōdō