adjective
murine
MYOOR-yne
Murine (adjective) means relating to, or characteristic of, a mouse. Example: “The lab studies murine behaviour to understand how mice respond to stress.”
adjective
1
Relating to, or characteristic of, a mouse.
"The lab studies murine behaviour to understand how mice respond to stress."
"Its small size and murine features made the creature easy to mistake for a mouse."
"Researchers compared murine and human immune responses."
noun
1
zoology Any rodent belonging to the murine group, especially a mouse or rat.
"The pest controller found several murines nesting in the loft."
"Not every small murine caught in the trap turned out to be a mouse."
How to use murine
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishMurine describes anything to do with mice, or more broadly with mouse-and-rat-type rodents.
When to use it
Murine is a specialist term mostly found in scientific and medical writing rather than everyday speech.
Memory tip
In lab research, a murine model usually just means the study was done in mice.
Trace the full origin ↓
Common pairings
murine model
murine species
murine behaviour
murine rodent
Vocabulary Flow
Build your vocabulary from words like murine.
Vocabulary Flow serves the next word, and the next — meaning, pronunciation and an example each time. Practice at your level, or learn English in your own language.
Start vocabulary practice
Fill the gap
Can you complete this real example?
The lab studies _____ behaviour to understand how mice respond to stress.
Etymology
Murine was borrowed from the Latin word mūrīnus, meaning mouselike.
Synonyms
View more →
murid
muroid
Rhymes for murine
See all rhymes for murine →Frequently asked questions
What does murine mean?
It means relating to or characteristic of a mouse, and more broadly can describe rodents of the mouse and rat family.
Is murine only about mice?
Its core sense is about mice, but it is also used more generally for related rodents such as rats.
Where does the word murine come from?
It comes from the Latin word mūrīnus, meaning mouselike.
What is the meaning of murine?
"murine" (adjective) means relating to, or characteristic of, a mouse.
