mice

IPA/mˈaɪs/
KK[mˈaɪs]IPA/mˈaɪs/

mice — noun

1. the form of the noun 'mouse' used when talking about more than one mouse — this

1.nounA2
Definition

the form of the noun 'mouse' used when talking about more than one mouse — this applies both to the small animal and, in everyday use, to the computer device.

Example

Mira heard scratching noises and realised mice had got into the kitchen cupboard.

irregular plural: mice (not *mouses)

The laboratory keeps a dozen mice in separate cages for the sleep study.

Common collocations
  • lab mice
  • field mice
  • mice scurrying
  • mice squeaking

Usage Note

Mice is the only standard plural of mouse. For computer pointing devices, mouses is occasionally used in informal technical talk, but mice is still far more common even in that context.

Common Mistakes

I saw three mouses running across the barn floor.
I saw three mice running across the barn floor.
The plural of 'mouse' is 'mice', an irregular form that does not add -s or -es.

Word family

Etymology

Proto-GermanicOld EnglishMiddle EnglishEnglish

Mice is the irregular plural of mouse, inherited from Old English mǒs (plural of mūs). This 'i-mutation' plural (changing ū to ǒ) was common in Old English but survives today in only a handful of nouns such as mouse/mice, louse/lice, goose/geese, and tooth/teeth.