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variants
or less commonly gerbille
: any of numerous Old World burrowing desert rodents (Gerbillus and related genera) with long hind legs adapted for leaping
Examples of gerbil in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
In the second picture, the mother-son duo both looked surprised as Deveraux held a gerbil in his hand.
—Joseph Epstein, Newsweek, 10 Dec. 2024
People bring their iguanas, cats, dogs, gerbils, and hamsters.
—Joanna Solotaroff, Vogue, 4 Dec. 2024
The one who really makes the comparison to gerbils valid is the 5-year-old.
—Caleb Harris, Austin American-Statesman, 25 Jan. 2024
And no, wild gerbils aren’t suddenly running around the place.
—Caleb Harris, Austin American-Statesman, 25 Jan. 2024
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Word History
Etymology
French gerbille, from New Latin Gerbillus, diminutive of gerboa, jerboa jerboa
First Known Use
1827, in the meaning defined above
Phrases Containing gerbil
Dictionary Entries Near gerbil
Cite this Entry
“Gerbil.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/gerbil. Accessed 25 Dec. 2024.
Kids Definition
gerbil
noun
ger·bil
ˈjər-bəl
: any of several Old World desert rodents with long hind legs
Medical Definition
gerbil
noun
ger·bil
variants
also gerbille
: any of numerous Old World burrowing desert rodents (Gerbillus and related genera) with long hind legs adapted for leaping
More from Merriam-Webster on gerbil
Nglish: Translation of gerbil for Spanish Speakers
Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about gerbil
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