gerbil
noun
ger·bil ˈjər-bəl 
variants or less commonly gerbille
: any of numerous Old World burrowing desert rodents (Gerbillus and related genera) with long hind legs adapted for leaping
Example Sentences
Recent Examples on the Web The Morganucodon had a small gerbil-like body and a long face similar to those of shrews or civets. 
Lianne Kolirin, CNN, 6 Sep. 2022 Officers said the gerbil is now with Cincinnati Animal CARE. Courtney King, The Enquirer, 1 Sep. 2022 Or use it as a water dish for a pet bird or gerbil. Washington Post, 18 Nov. 2021 They can be used to gain new skills and knowledge; create, connect, and communicate; find answers to almost any question; keep up with the news; and buy gerbil food at 2:00 in the morning. Quora, Forbes, 12 Nov. 2021 The gerbil isn’t wild, at least when kept in a container in the United States. Jeff Mcmahon, Forbes, 22 Sep. 2021 At the center of my experiment was one Hubert Lee, a gerbil named in part after my sister’s boyfriend at the time. Debra Hale-shelton, Arkansas Online, 25 Oct. 2020 On Twitter, Young credited the gerbil museum created by curator Filippo Lorenzin and artist Marianna Benetti for sparking her creativity. Katherine J. Wu, Smithsonian Magazine, 17 Apr. 2020 The gerbil gallery is, of course, a bit too petite to accommodate in-person human visitors. Katherine J. Wu, Smithsonian Magazine, 8 Apr. 2020 See More
Lianne Kolirin, CNN, 6 Sep. 2022 Officers said the gerbil is now with Cincinnati Animal CARE. Courtney King, The Enquirer, 1 Sep. 2022 Or use it as a water dish for a pet bird or gerbil. Washington Post, 18 Nov. 2021 They can be used to gain new skills and knowledge; create, connect, and communicate; find answers to almost any question; keep up with the news; and buy gerbil food at 2:00 in the morning. Quora, Forbes, 12 Nov. 2021 The gerbil isn’t wild, at least when kept in a container in the United States. Jeff Mcmahon, Forbes, 22 Sep. 2021 At the center of my experiment was one Hubert Lee, a gerbil named in part after my sister’s boyfriend at the time. Debra Hale-shelton, Arkansas Online, 25 Oct. 2020 On Twitter, Young credited the gerbil museum created by curator Filippo Lorenzin and artist Marianna Benetti for sparking her creativity. Katherine J. Wu, Smithsonian Magazine, 17 Apr. 2020 The gerbil gallery is, of course, a bit too petite to accommodate in-person human visitors. Katherine J. Wu, Smithsonian Magazine, 8 Apr. 2020 See More Word History
Etymology
French gerbille, from New Latin Gerbillus, diminutive of gerboa, jerboa jerboa
First Known Use
1827, in the meaning defined above
Phrases Containing gerbil
Kids Definition
gerbil
noun
ger·bil ˈjər-bəl
: a small Old World leaping desert rodent that is often kept as a pet
Medical Definition
gerbil
noun
ger·bil
variants also gerbille
ˈjər-bəl
: any of numerous Old World burrowing desert rodents (Gerbillus and related genera) with long hind legs adapted for leaping