Etymology

sigmodont

S1I1G2M3O1D2O1N1T1

Today it means: Any of the Sigmodontinae subfamily of rodents, including New World rats and mice. Full definition →

Ancient Greek σῖγμα
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The story

  1. Ancient Greek · derived fromσῖγμα
  2. English todaysigmodont

Ancient Greek σῖγμα (sîgma) + ὀδών (odṓn, “tooth”). So called from the form of the ridges of enamel on the crowns of the worn molars.

Words from the same roots

Ancient Greekσῖγμα all →

sigma

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.