hamster

noun

ham·​ster ˈham(p)-stər 

: any of a subfamily (Cricetinae) of small Old World rodents having very large cheek pouches

Examples of hamster in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

By constantly fielding support tickets and fixing issues one by one, even the best IT teams never get a chance to jump off the ever-spinning hamster wheel to attend to more strategic work instead. —Elise London, Forbes.com, 22 Apr. 2025

The couple's family has welcomed many dogs over the years (and other pets, including birds, hamsters and even a bearded dragon). —Karen Fratti, People.com, 23 Mar. 2025

Social media is filled with videos of dogs having the best time with animals of other species, like cats, birds, or hamsters, to name a few. —William Lambers, Newsweek, 7 Mar. 2025

The center's work has an impact on many different animals, including household pets, like dogs, cats and hamsters. —Sydney Lupkin, NPR, 19 Feb. 2025

Word History

Etymology

German, from Old High German hamustro, of Slavic origin; akin to Old Russian choměstorŭ hamster, of Iranian origin; akin to Avestan hamaēstar- oppressor

First Known Use

1607, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing hamster

• golden hamster
• Syrian hamster

Kids Definition

hamster

noun

ham·​ster ˈham(p)-stər 

: any of various small Old World rodents with a short tail and large cheek pouches

Medical Definition

hamster

noun

ham·​ster ˈham(p)-stər 

: any of numerous Old World rodents (Cricetus or a related genus) having very large cheek pouches and including several used as laboratory animals