rodent
n.a small mammal with strong front teeth that it uses for biting and chewing things. Common examples include mice, rats, and squirrels.
n.any of a diverse group of mammals characterized by a single pair of continuously growing incisors in each of the upper and lower jaws.
“A small rodent was chewing on the wooden fence.”
“The warehouse manager called an exterminator after finding evidence that a rodent had nested in the grain sacks.”
“While many people view any urban rodent as a pest, these animals play a vital role in the ecosystem by dispersing seeds and serving as a primary food source for birds of prey.”
Often used as a collective term in biological or pest-control contexts.
“Research labs at NYU lost their lab animals during the storm; the news reported them dead, but rumours spread that the rodent population of the city had grown by 10,000 transgenic mice and rats.”
From Latin rōdēns, rōdent- (“gnawer; one who gnaws”), present participle of rōdō (“to gnaw”).
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.