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Definition of hamster

hamster

/ˈhæm.stɚ/
ham · ster
Plural:hamsters
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hamster Lexical Profile

hamster Game Scores & Validity

• noun

1

A small burrowing rodent belonging to the subfamily Cricetinae, native to dry plains and steppes of Eurasia, characterized by a stout body, a short tail, and expandable cheek pouches used for storing and carrying food.

Example

"The children bought a golden hamster as their first pet and spent hours watching it run on its exercise wheel."

Synonyms
View all synonyms for hamster

• Rhymes for hamster

• Nearby Words

hammerhead shark
hammock
hamper
hamster
han
han river
hanakapiai

Word Origin & Etymology

Borrowed from German 'Hamster', from Middle High German 'hamster' and Old High German 'hamustro', which is likely of Slavic origin (compare Old Church Slavonic 'khomestoru').

Usage Trend

Historical frequency of usage in published text.

180019102020
Data source: Google Books Ngram Viewer

Cite this Entry

Wordmom. (2026). Definition of Hamster. In Wordmom Dictionary. Retrieved Oct 16, 2026, from https://wordmom.com/dictionary/hamster
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