vole
vole Lexical Profile
vole Game Scores & Validity
• noun
A small, burrowing, mouse-like rodent of the family Cricetidae, characterized by a stout body, rounded snout, small or concealed ears, and a short tail, native to temperate regions of the Northern Hemisphere.
"The farmer noticed a sudden decline in his root crops, soon realizing a colony of voles had established burrows beneath the garden."
The winning of all the tricks in a single deal of certain card games, such as quadrille or ombre.
"By carefully tracking the trump cards, the skilled player achieved a vole and secured a massive point advantage for her team."
Word Nuance & Usage
Voles are frequently confused with mice or moles; however, unlike mice, voles have noticeably shorter tails and stouter bodies, and unlike insect-eating moles, voles are mostly herbivorous rodents.
• Rhymes for vole
Word Origin & Etymology
Derived in the late 18th century from the earlier term 'vole-mouse,' which traces to the Norwegian word 'vollmus' (field mouse), ultimately from Old Norse 'vǫllr' (field) and 'mús' (mouse).
Usage Trend
Historical frequency of usage in published text.