hamster

IPA/ˈhæmstə(r)/
KK[hˈæmstɚ]IPA/ˈhæmstər/

hamster — noun

  • hamstersingular
  • hamstersplural

1. a small rodent with fur, a very short tail, and stretchy pouches inside its chee

1.nounA2
Definition

a small rodent with fur, a very short tail, and stretchy pouches inside its cheeks. Hamsters stuff food into these pouches to carry it to their hiding places. They are popular pets that live in cages.

Example

Amelia's hamster stuffed both cheeks with sunflower seeds and carried them to its nest.

hamster + cheek pouches for storing food

Every evening the hamster woke up and ran for hours on its exercise wheel.

Common collocations
  • pet hamster
  • hamster cage
  • hamster wheel
  • hamster food
  • dwarf hamster
  • Syrian hamster
  • keep a hamster
  • feed a hamster
Synonyms
  • gerbil

    a similar small pet rodent with a longer tail and different body shape; gerbils are desert animals and need sand baths

  • guinea pig

    a larger, tailless pet rodent that does not have cheek pouches and makes different sounds

  • mouse

    a smaller rodent with a long, thin tail and round ears; mice are less commonly kept as pets

Grammar Patterns

a hamster

hamsters (plural)

Usage Note

Hamster is a countable noun: one hamster, two hamsters. When referring to a hamster whose sex is unknown or irrelevant, use 'it' rather than 'he' or 'she'.

Common Mistakes

I bought a hamster for my little brother but it died after two days.
I bought a hamster for my little brother, but it died after two days.
Use a comma before 'but' when joining two independent clauses.
Mice and hamsters are both rodents but hamsters have smaller ears and no long tail.
Mice and hamsters are both rodents, but hamsters have smaller ears and no long tail.
Hamsters have a very short tail, while mice have a long, thin tail.

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

All four words describe small rodents, but each refers to a different animal with distinct features. A hamster is stout with large cheek pouches and a very short tail; it stores food in its cheeks and is commonly kept alone in a cage. A gerbil is leaner with a longer, furry tail and prefers to live in pairs or groups; it comes from dry grasslands and needs sand to keep its coat clean. A guinea pig is larger, has no tail at all, and makes whistling and purring sounds; it needs plenty of floor space and vitamin C in its diet. A mouse is much smaller, has a long thin tail and large round ears, and is quick and nervous by nature. A rat is larger than a mouse with a thicker, scaly tail; it is highly intelligent and can learn tricks, but many people are afraid of it. For a child's first pet, a hamster or guinea pig is usually a better choice than a mouse or rat.

gerbilguinea pigmouse ↗rat ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

Phrases

  • keep a hamster
  • feed a hamster
  • hamster cage
  • hamster wheel
  • dwarf hamster
  • Syrian hamster

Etymology

GermanOld High GermanEnglish

The word 'hamster' comes from German 'Hamster', which probably comes from an Old High German word 'hamustro' meaning 'corn-weevil' — a type of beetle that destroys stored grain. The name was given to the animal because of its habit of collecting and storing large amounts of grain in its cheek pouches, just as a weevil damages stored grain. The word entered English in the early 17th century.

First known use

1607

1607, in the meaning defined above