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Hamster

//ˈhæm(p)stɚ// noun, verb

Definitions

Noun
  1. 1
    Any of various Old World rodent species belonging to the subfamily Cricetinae.

    "The hamster stuffed his puffy cheeks with food."

  2. 2
    short-tailed Old World burrowing rodent with large cheek pouches wordnet
  3. 3
    Any of various Old World rodent species belonging to the subfamily Cricetinae.; In particular, a rodent of the species Mesocricetus auratus (the golden hamster) or of a species of the genera Cricetiscus and Phodopus (the dwarf hamsters), often kept as a pet or used in scientific research.
  4. 4
    Any of various other rodents of similar appearance, such as the maned hamster or crested hamster, Lophiomys imhausi, mouse-like hamsters of genus Calomyscus, and the white-tailed rat (Mystromys albicaudatus).
Verb
  1. 1
    To secrete or store privately, as a hamster does with food in its cheek pouches. ambitransitive

    "Probably the city government knew that without that hamstering half the city would starve and they somehow got the police to lay off. It was in the little stinky one-horse towns that you had all the trouble."

Etymology

Etymology 1

Borrowed from German Hamster (see for etymology). Displaced earlier term German rat.

Etymology 2

Borrowed from German Hamster (see for etymology). Displaced earlier term German rat.

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