Muride

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. Referring to any member of a family of small to medium-sized rodents including mice and rats, typically characterized by a long tail and a pointed snout
2. Denoting creatures that belong to a group of rodents distinguished by their size and typical features such as whiskers and sharp incisors used for gnawing
3. Describing animals within a taxonomic family known for their adaptability and presence in diverse habitats, often including species considered pests or laboratory animals

Etymology: The name starts from Latin "muria", meaning brine, the salty liquid left behind when seawater is evaporated. Chemists adapted the stem with the suffix "-ide", which marks a compound formed from two elements, so the word's original job was naming a salt-like compound. Salt was obtained from seawater in that way, which is why brine gave the root. The rodent sense is a separate, zoological use. It takes its form from the family name Muridae, which is built on Latin "mus", meaning mouse, so this sense belongs to a different branch of the word's history. Biologists apply the "-ide" ending to family names, and that is how a term for a mouse-like animal came to share its shape with a chemical suffix.

Synonyms: murid