Word Study
lemming
WORDNET DICTIONARY
Noun lemming has 1 sense
- lemming(n = noun.animal) Array - any of various short-tailed furry-footed rodents of circumpolar distribution; Array is a kind of gnawer, rodent
is a member of cricetidae, family cricetidae
has particulars: european lemming, lemmus lemmus, brown lemming, lemmus trimucronatus, gray lemming, grey lemming, red-backed lemming, pied lemming, southern bog lemming, synaptomys cooperi, northern bog lemming, synaptomys borealis
CIDE DICTIONARY
lemming, n. [Nor. lemming, lemende; cf. Sw. lemel, Lapp. lummik.].
Any one of several species of small arctic rodents of the genera Myodes and Cuniculus , resembling the meadow mice in form. They are found in both hemispheres. [1913 Webster]
" The common Northern European lemming (Myodes lemmus ) is remarkable for making occasional devastating migrations in enormous numbers from the mountains into the lowlands."
[1913 Webster]
OXFORD DICTIONARY
lemming, n. any small arctic rodent of the genus Lemmus, esp. L. lemmus of Norway which is reputed to rush headlong into the sea and drown during migration.
Etymology
Norw.
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