Word Study
vole
WORDNET DICTIONARY
Noun vole has 1 sense
- vole(n = noun.animal) field mouse - any of various small mouselike rodents of the family Cricetidae (especially of genus Microtus) having a stout short-tailed body and inconspicuous ears and inhabiting fields or meadows; Array has particulars: grasshopper mouse, pine mouse, pine vole, pitymys pinetorum, meadow mouse, meadow vole, microtus pennsylvaticus, microtus richardsoni, richardson vole, water vole, microtus ochrogaster, prairie vole, arvicola amphibius, water rat, water vole, red-backed mouse, redback vole, phenacomys
is a kind of wood-rat, wood rat
CIDE DICTIONARY
vole, n. [F.].
A deal at cards that draws all the tricks. Swift. [1913 Webster]
vole, v. i.
To win all the tricks by a vole. Pope. [1913 Webster]
vole, n.
Any one of numerous species of micelike rodents belonging to Arvicola and allied genera of the subfamily Arvicolinæ . They have a thick head, short ears, and a short hairy tail. [1913 Webster]
" The water vole, or water rat, of Europe (Arvicola amphibius ) is a common large aquatic species. The short-tailed field vole (Arvicola agrestis ) of Northern and Central Europe, and Asia, the Southern field vole (Arvicola arvalis ), and the Siberian root vole (Arvicola œconomus ), are important European species. The common species of the Eastern United States (Arvicola riparius ) (called also meadow mouse ) and the prairie mouse (Arvicola austerus ) are abundant, and often injurious to vegetation. Other species are found in Canada."
[1913 Webster]
OXFORD DICTIONARY
vole, n. any small ratlike or mouselike plant-eating rodent of the family Cricetidae.
vole, n. archaic the winning of all tricks at cards.
Etymology
F f. voler fly f. L volare
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