noun
hamster
HAMS-tuh
noun
1
A small, short-tailed rodent with cheek pouches, often kept as a pet.
"My daughter keeps a hamster in a cage in her bedroom."
"The hamster stuffed both cheeks with sunflower seeds."
verb
1
(informal) To stash away or hoard something quietly, the way a hamster stores food in its cheeks.
"He'd been hamstering snacks in his desk drawer for weeks."
How to Use Hamster
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishA small pet rodent that stores food in its cheek pouches.
Common pairings
pet hamster
hamster wheel
hamster cage
Word Forms
hamstered past tense, hamsters plural, hamsters singular
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Etymology
Borrowed from German Hamster, the name of the rodent.