hamster
- 01 A2 Elementary
n.a small furry animal with a short tail that people often keep as a pet.
n.a small Old World rodent of the subfamily Cricetinae, characterized by large cheek pouches and a short tail.
Simple“My younger brother cleans his hamster's cage every Saturday morning.”
In context“The Syrian hamster is perhaps the most popular breed for domestic ownership due to its manageable size and solitary nature.”
Synonyms - 02 C2 Proficiency
v.to hide or store things away in a secret place, like how the animal stores food in its cheeks.
v.to store or secrete items privately for future use, analogous to the way a hamster utilizes its cheek pouches.
Simple“During the sale, she started to hamster away extra supplies in the garage.”
In context“Economists noted that consumers began to hamster essential goods in anticipation of the projected supply chain disruptions.”
UsageOften used as an intransitive verb or with a direct object.
Teacher's tipThis verbal use is much less common than the noun and is primarily used to describe hoarding behavior.
Antonyms
Borrowed from German Hamster (see for etymology). Displaced earlier term German rat.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.