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Webster 1828 Edition

Hamster

HAM'STER

,
Noun.
A species of rat, the Mus cricetus, or German marmot. This rat is of the size of the water rat, but is of a browner color,and its belly and legs of a dirty yellow. It is remarkable for two bags, like those of a baboon, on each side of the jaw, under the skin, in which it conveys grain, peas and acorns to its winter residence.

Definition 2024

hámster

hámster

See also: hamster, Hamster, hàmster, and hâmster

Galician

Noun

hámster m ‎(plural hámsteres)

  1. hamster

Portuguese

Noun

hámster m (plural hámsteres or hámsters)

  1. (uncommon) Alternative form of hamster

Spanish

Etymology

From English hamster, from German Hamster, from Old High German hamustra ‎(“field-mouse”), from Old Church Slavonic хомѣсторъ ‎(chomĕstorŭ), a tautological hybrid of the Proto-Slavic roots *xoměkъ (compare Russian хомяк ‎(xomják, “hamster”)) and *storъ (compare Lithuanian stãras ‎(“hamster”)).

An alternative etymology traces Old High German hamustra, hamustro to Proto-Germanic *hamustrōn ‎(“hamster”), from Proto-Indo-European *kam- ‎(“a kind of rodent”), making it cognate to the Old Church Slavonic word, and to Lithuanian kãmas ‎(“rodent, rat”). Akin to Old Saxon hamustra ‎(“hamster”).

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /ˈxamster/, /ˈamster/

Noun

hámster m ‎(plural hámsteres or hámsters)

  1. hamster

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