gerbil

ger·bil  (jûrbl)

n.

1. Any of various small, mouselike rodents of the genus Gerbillus and related genera of arid regions of Africa and Asia Minor, having long hind legs and a long tail.

2. The Mongolian gerbil (Meriones unguiculatus), having large dark eyes and a long furry tail and often kept as a pet.

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[French gerbille, from New Latin Gerbillus, genus name, from diminutive of gerb, jerboa, variant of Medieval Latin jerba; see jerboa.]

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gerbil [jur-bill]

Noun

a small rodent with long back legs, often kept as a pet [French gerbille]

Thesaurus

Noun

1.

gerbil - small Old World burrowing desert rodent with long soft pale fur and hind legs adapted for leaping gerbille gnawer, rodent - relatively small placental mammals having a single pair of constantly growing incisor teeth specialized for gnawing Gerbillinae, subfamily Gerbillinae - gerbils jird - gerbil of northern Africa Meriones unguiculatus, tamarisk gerbil - a gerbil that is popular as a pet Meriones longifrons, sand rat - southern European gerbil