gerbil

American

[jur-buhl] / ˈdʒɜr bəl /

noun

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.
Also called tamarisk gerbil. a jird, Meriones unguiculatus, that is popular as a pet.

gerbil British

/ ˈdʒɜːbɪl /

noun

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

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of gerbil

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

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

For me, it was about getting off the gerbil wheel of thoughts constantly spinning in my mind that made it hard to focus.

From Seattle Times • Oct. 21, 2022

But would a win mean anyone could take their trained gerbil or rabbit to the weekly shop?

From BBC • May 27, 2022

He fears that with Americans' attention span at gerbil level that there is a chance that people will forget.

From Salon • May 12, 2022

And “What actor started that gerbil rumor about that other actor out of rivalry?”

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 11, 2022

And we had a substitute who knew as much about running a gym class as a gerbil would.

From "Orbiting Jupiter" by Gary D. Schmidt

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023