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hamster

hamster

127 1.0
A small rodent with a short tail and big cheek pouches often kept as a pet
  • noun
  • /ˈhæmstər/
translation icon : hámster
  • And the weird thing about the hamster was we thought we bought a boy hamster.
  • pet hamster
  • hamster wheel
  • Syrian hamster

And it smells like a hamster's cage, OK?

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Examples

  • When I was younger, I enjoyed watching my hamster build tunnels out of the bedding.

  • Both twins scrambled after the hamster as he headed for the entrance of the kiva.

    Fiction book (1993)
  • OK, yeah, One time my friend had a hamster and his name was Henry.

  • How did my hamster die?

  • What about a hamster could have caused this much stress?

  • My, my hamster was our second grade class pet.

  • When I was a little girl, - I had a pet hamster.

  • Molly and Charly had bought Home Run, their pet hamster, a few weeks before.

    Fiction book (1993)
  • And not only that, but hamsters hibernate for about two months.

  • My pet hamster loves to run on its wheel every night.

Synonyms

rodent
vshamster
117 2.8

A small animal like a mouse or rat that uses strong front teeth to chew

is a more specific small short-tailed pet within that broad group
Mesocricetus auratus
vshamster
  • Specialized
8.0

A small golden hamster often kept as a pet

is the general small short-tailed pet rodent not limited to that species
golden hamster
vshamster
1.8

A small light brown pet animal that people keep in a cage

is the general small short-tailed pet rodent not only that species
Syrian hamster
vshamster
2.7

A small, golden or light-colored pet hamster often kept alone

is the general small short-tailed pet rodent not only that species
Mesocricetus
vshamster
  • Specialized
9.9

A group of hamsters that includes the golden hamster

is the common small short-tailed pet rodent not the whole genus
Cricetus
vshamster
  • Specialized
9.9

A group of hamsters from Europe and Asia, including the European hamster

is the small short-tailed pet rodent not the larger wild European kinds
Cricetus cricetus
vshamster
  • Specialized
9.9

A large wild hamster that lives alone in holes in the ground in Europe and parts of Asia

is the small short-tailed pet rodent not this larger wild European species
Eurasian hamster
vshamster
  • UK
5.4

A large wild hamster with brown fur and a white belly from eastern Europe and parts of Asia

is the small short-tailed pet rodent not this larger continental species

Compounds

hamster wheel
  • Informal
1 5.5

A routine of repeated tasks that makes no progress

A large wild hamster with brown fur and a white belly from eastern Europe and parts of Asia

A small light brown pet animal that people keep in a cage

A small, golden or light-colored pet hamster often kept alone

How Big

rabbit
220 1.0
guinea pig
15 2.3
hamster
127 1.0
gerbil
29 1.1
mouse
587 1.0

Surface Forms

hamster singular
hamsters plural

Etymology

Hamster comes from the German verb hamstern, which means 'to hoard' or 'to store'. This is easy to remember because hamsters stuff food into their cheek pouches and save it for later, so the name fits the animal's habit.