rodents

IPA/ˈrəʊ.dənt/
KK[rˈodənts]IPA/ˈroʊ.dənt/

rodents — noun

  • rodentssingular
  • rodentsesplural

1. a group of small mammals that have a pair of long, sharp front teeth in both jaw

1.nounB1
Definition

a group of small mammals that have a pair of long, sharp front teeth in both jaws which keep growing throughout their lives and are used for gnawing through hard surfaces; common examples include mice, rats, squirrels, and beavers

Example

The old shed behind Esteban's house was crawling with rodents after the flood.

collocation: crawling with rodents

Rats and mice are the rodents that cause the most damage to food supplies worldwide.

Common collocations
  • infested with rodents
  • rodent control
  • rodent species
  • common rodents
  • rodent population
  • carried by rodents
  • remove the rodents
Synonyms
  • vermin

    a broader, negative term that includes rodents as well as insects and other pests that damage property or spread disease

  • pests

    any animals or insects that cause harm to crops, food, or buildings; rodents are a common type of pest

Grammar Patterns

rodents + plural verb agreement

Usage Note

Rodents is the standard plural form and is used when talking about the group as a whole. The singular form rodent (without -s) refers to one individual animal. Both forms use plural verb agreement when the subject is plural.

Common Mistakes

Mouse is a type of rodents.
The mouse is a type of rodent.
when referring to a category, the singular form 'rodent' is correct; 'rodents' is plural.

Word family

  • rodent
    noun (singular)B1
  • rodent
    adjectiveB2
  • rodenticide
    nounC1

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

Rodents, vermin, and pests all describe unwanted animals, but they are not interchangeable. Rodent is a precise biological term for a specific group of mammals (mice, rats, squirrels, beavers) with characteristic gnawing teeth — it carries no negative or positive feeling by itself. Vermin is a much broader and strongly negative label for any small wild animal (including rodents, cockroaches, and foxes) that spreads disease or damages property. Pest is equally broad but less emotional — it refers to any organism harmful to human activities, from insects eating crops to rats in warehouses. Use rodent when you mean the animal type specifically: "Rats are rodents, but not all pests are rodents." Use vermin when expressing disgust: "The kitchen was crawling with vermin." Use pest in practical or agricultural contexts: "Farmers use traps to control pests."

rodents ↗vermin ↗pests ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

  • rodent control
  • rodent infestation
  • rodent species
  • rodent population
  • rodent problem

Phrases

  • infested with rodents
  • carried by rodents
  • spread by rodents

Prepositions

  • of rodents
  • among rodents
  • in rodents

Etymology

Latinscientific LatinEnglish

The word rodent comes from the Latin verb 'rodere', meaning 'to gnaw'. Animals in this group were named for their most noticeable feature — a pair of front teeth in each jaw that keeps growing throughout life and is used for gnawing through tough materials like wood and nutshells. The term entered English in the 1700s through scientific Latin as a way to classify these gnawing mammals together.

First known use

1830

1830, in the meaning defined at sense 1