Pronunciation: [ɹˈə͡ʊdənt] (IPA) 
The word "rodent" is spelled with an "o" and not an "e" because it comes from the Latin word "rodere," which means "to gnaw." In IPA phonetic transcription, the word is pronounced as "ˈroʊdənt." The stress is on the first syllable, which is pronounced as "roh." The "d" is pronounced as a voiced dental plosive, similar to how one would say the word "day." The second syllable is pronounced as "uhnt," with a reduced vowel sound.
A rodent is a small mammal that belongs to the order Rodentia, which is characterized by its distinctive front incisors that continuously grow throughout its lifetime. These incisors are used for gnawing, chewing, and slicing through various materials, including wood, plants, and food items. Rodents display a wide range of species diversity and can be found in almost every habitat across the globe, with some being particularly adapted to specific environments such as deserts, forests, or grasslands.
The term "rodent" encompasses animals such as rats, mice, squirrels, beavers, and guinea pigs, among others. They typically have a compact body, short limbs, and a long tail, which serves various functions such as balance, communication, and thermoregulation. Rodents vary in size, ranging from extremely tiny species measuring a few centimeters long to larger specimens exceeding a meter in length.
Due to their remarkable adaptability and ability to reproduce rapidly, rodents have thrived in human-modified environments, and many are considered pests due to their destructive behavior towards crops, gardens, and infrastructure. However, they also play crucial ecological roles, such as seed dispersers and prey species for larger predators.
Furthermore, some rodents have been domesticated for companionship (e.g., pet hamsters or guinea pigs) or utilized for scientific research purposes (e.g., lab rats). Overall, rodents are an important and diverse group of mammals that have successfully colonized a wide range of habitats worldwide.
• Gnawing.
• One of the gnawers, as the rat, the squirrel, &c.
Etymological and pronouncing dictionary of the English language. By Stormonth, James, Phelp, P. H. Published 1874.
* The statistics data for these misspellings percentages are collected from over 15,411,110 spell check sessions on www.spellchecker.net from Jan 2010 - Jun 2012.
The word "rodent" comes from the Latin word "rodere", which means "to gnaw" or "to gnaw away". It is derived from the Proto-Indo-European root *red-, meaning "to scrape" or "to scratch". This etymology reflects the characteristic behavior of rodents, known for their constant gnawing and chewing to keep their teeth from growing too long.
