rodent
UK /ˈɹəʊdənt/ · US /ˈɹoʊdənt/ noun, adjective
Forms rodents rodente
- noun A mammal of the order Rodentia, characterized by long incisors that grow continuously and are worn down by gnawing.
- noun (dated, bulletin board system slang, leetspeak, derogatory) A person lacking in maturity, social skills, technical competence or intelligence; lamer.
- adjective Gnawing; biting; corroding; applied to a destructive variety of cancer or ulcer.
Synonyms
Etymology
From Latin rōdēns, rōdent- (“gnawer; one who gnaws”), present participle of rōdō (“to gnaw”).
Webster’s 1913
- adjective Gnawing; biting; corroding; (Med.) applied to a destructive variety of cancer or ulcer.
- adjective (a) Gnawing.
- noun One of the Rodentia.
Etymology [L. rodens, -entis, p. pr. of rodere to gnaw. See Rase, v. t., and cf. Rostrum.]
Sources: Wiktionary · WordNet 3.0 · Webster’s 1913 — from the Wiktionary entry “rodent”, CC BY-SA 4.0. Details