kangaroo rat

noun

: any of a genus (Dipodomys) of nocturnal burrowing rodents of arid parts of western North America that travel by hopping on their long hind legs and have a long tail and fur-lined cheek pouches

Illustration of kangaroo rat

Illustration of kangaroo rat

Examples of kangaroo rat in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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The depths would have provided refuge for some soil-dwelling invertebrates, and, for the most part, burrowing small mammals like mice and kangaroo rats should have been able to descend deep enough to avoid the heat. Anton Sorokin, Smithsonian Magazine, 5 Feb. 2025 Analyzing the livers of small birds and mammals revealed staggering amounts of forever chemicals, including a concentration 120,000 nanograms per gram in the liver of a Merriam’s kangaroo rat. Dac Collins, Outdoor Life, 30 Jan. 2025 Climate & Environment Chuckwalla National Monument would protect swath of California desert and preserve a sacred land April 28, 2024 Besides its namesake, the Chuckwalla lizard, the area is home to bighorn sheep, desert tortoises, kangaroo rats, burrowing owls and jackrabbits. Lila Seidman, Los Angeles Times, 12 Jan. 2025 Yucca moth caterpillars, kangaroo rats and ground squirrels eat their seeds. Alex Wigglesworth, Los Angeles Times, 28 Nov. 2024 See all Example Sentences for kangaroo rat 

Word History

First Known Use

1867, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of kangaroo rat was in 1867

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Cite this Entry

“Kangaroo rat.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/kangaroo%20rat. Accessed 11 Feb. 2025.

Kids Definition

kangaroo rat

noun
: a burrowing rodent of dry regions of the western U.S. that travels by hopping on its long hind legs

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