gerbil

[ jur-buhl ]

noun

1. any of numerous small burrowing rodents of the genus Gerbillus and related genera, of Asia, Africa, and southern Russia, having long hind legs used for jumping.
2. Also called tam·a·risk ger·bil [tam, -, uh, -risk , jur, -b, uh, l]. a jird, Meriones unguiculatus, that is popular as a pet.

gerbil

/ ˈdʒɜːbɪl /

noun

1. any burrowing rodent of the subfamily Gerbillinae, inhabiting hot dry regions of Asia and Africa and having soft pale fur: family Cricetidae

Word History and Origins

Origin of gerbil¹

1840–50; < French gerbille < New Latin gerbillus, diminutive of gerbo jerboa

Word History and Origins

Origin of gerbil¹

C19: from French gerbille, from New Latin gerbillus a little jerboa

Example Sentences

“I found that you can get a gerbil for four dollars and 99 cents,” he said.

From Los Angeles Times

Fleming then proceeds to sing an entire song about this subject matter: “So let me get this straight, if I’m a child and I save up my earnings for 20 minutes of chores, then I can afford a tiny new member of my family. The gerbil. But should I get a Driscoll’s?”

From Los Angeles Times

“That’s the price of raspberries. So as a consumer you have to ask yourself a pretty important question. Should I get a Driscoll’s, or should I get a gerbil?”

From Los Angeles Times

It’s also for people who wonder why a gerbil costs as much as a pint of raspberries, who like droll absurdity or who crave sketches about mole-like goblin creatures bred by members of the scheming Ticketmaster family.

From New York Times

“But the rapacious and blind desperate chasing of traffic — by the nonstop gerbil wheel rewriting story after story that has first appeared in other media outlets in the hope that something, anything, will go viral — has been a shock to the system and a disappointment to many of the outstanding quality journalists at The Messenger who are trying to focus on meaningful original and distinctive reporting.”

From New York Times