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Definition of gerbil

gerbil

/ˈdʒɜːr.bəl/
ger · bil
Plural:gerbils
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gerbil Lexical Profile

gerbil Game Scores & Validity

• noun

1

A small, burrowing desert rodent of the subfamily Gerbillinae, native to Africa and Asia, featuring long hind legs and a hairy tail, widely kept as a domesticated pet.

Example

"The children spent Saturday afternoon building a complex maze out of cardboard tubes for their pet gerbil."

Synonyms
View all synonyms for gerbil

• Rhymes for gerbil

• Nearby Words

geothermic
geranium
gerbera
gerbil
gerenuk
geriatric
geriatrics

Word Origin & Etymology

Mid 19th century: from French 'gerbille', from modern Latin 'gerbillus', a diminutive of 'gerbua' (a variant of 'jerboa'), ultimately derived from Arabic 'yarbū'.

Usage Trend

Historical frequency of usage in published text.

180019102020
Data source: Google Books Ngram Viewer

Cite this Entry

Wordmom. (2026). Definition of Gerbil. In Wordmom Dictionary. Retrieved Nov 5, 2026, from https://wordmom.com/dictionary/gerbil
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