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order Rodentia

order Rodentia

1 6.7
A group of mammals like rats, mice, and squirrels
  • noun
  • /ˈɔrdər roʊˈdɛnʃə/
  • Specialized
translation icon : orden Rodentia
  • Scientists have discovered a new species belonging to the order Rodentia in South America.

Examples

  • Many animals in the order Rodentia are known for their sharp teeth.

  • All members of the order Rodentia share a distinctive pair of continuously growing incisors.

  • The order Rodentia includes more species than any other order of mammals.

  • The order Rodentia includes various species like rats and mice.

  • The order Rodentia includes common animals like rats and squirrels.

  • Scientists study the characteristics of the order Rodentia to better understand their ecological roles.

  • Members of the order Rodentia are known for their continuously growing incisors.

Synonyms

Rodentia
vsorder Rodentia
  • Specialized
1 6.9

A group of small mammals that have sharp front teeth for gnawing, like mice and squirrels

is the same group but its name includes a formal taxonomic label first

Surface Forms

Morphology

order + Rodentia

Both parts are literal and compositional: 'order' in the taxonomic sense plus the taxon name 'Rodentia' directly yield the meaning 'the taxonomic order of rodents'. This follows a regular naming pattern in biology (order + taxon name) that is cross-linguistically common, so a B1 learner who knows both constituents will understand the phrase.

Etymology

Order Rodentia comes from a Latin word meaning 'to gnaw', so Rodentia paints the picture of animals that chew a lot. That's why scientists use this name for the 'group' of animals with ever-growing front teeth, like rats, mice and squirrels.