noun
gerbil
JURBL
noun
1
A small, jumping, mouse-like rodent, often kept as a pet, native to Africa and parts of Asia and Europe.
"Her son begged for a gerbil after visiting the pet shop."
"Gerbils are popular pets because they are gentle and easy to handle."
How to Use Gerbil
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishA small furry rodent commonly kept as a pet, related to hamsters and jerboas.
Easily confused with
hamster →
jerboa
Common pairings
pet gerbil
gerbil cage
gerbil wheel
Word Forms
gerbiled past tense, gerbilled past tense, gerbils plural, gerbils singular
Study it as flashcards or scroll it in Flow — saved to your collection.
Test yourself on “gerbil”
A quick quiz — meaning, synonyms & usage
→
Fill the Gap
Can you complete this real example?
Her son begged for a _____ after visiting the pet shop.
Etymology
From French gerbille, tracing back through Latin to an Arabic word for the jerboa, a related desert rodent.