gerbil

G2E1R1B3I1L1
US/ˈd͡ʒɝbl̩/UK/ˈdʒɜːbl̩/

noun

A member of one of several species of small, jumping, mouselike rodents of the subfamily Gerbillinae, native to Africa, India, and Southern Europe.

Similar
gerbille
OriginFrench gerbille ← Latin gerbo ← Arabic جَرْبُوع →
Less commonScrabble 9
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Meanings

noungerbil (plural gerbils)

plural gerbils · alternative dated gerbille · alternative dated jerbil · alternative obsolete gerbill

  1. A member of one of several species of small, jumping, mouselike rodents of the subfamily Gerbillinae, native to Africa, India, and Southern Europe.
verbgerbil (third-person singular simple present gerbils, present participle (US) gerbiling or (UK) gerbilling, simple past and past participle (US) gerbiled or (UK) gerbilled)

present singular third person gerbils · US participle present gerbiling · UK participle present gerbilling · US participle past gerbiled · US past gerbiled · UK participle past gerbilled · UK past gerbilled · alternative dated gerbille · alternative dated jerbil · alternative obsolete gerbill

  1. intransitiveTo rotate inside a monowheel or similar apparatus due to sudden acceleration or braking.
  2. intransitiveslangTo insert a small animal (typically a gerbil, supposedly) into one's rectum (a sexual practice in urban myth).

Synonyms & antonyms

nounsmall Old World burrowing desert rodent with long soft pale fur and hind legs adapted for leaping

Similar
gerbille
Broader
rodentgnawer
Also see
gerbille

Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Origin

  1. Arabicجَرْبُوع
  2. Latingerbo
  3. Frenchgerbille
  4. Englishgerbil

From French gerbille, from Latin gerbo, from Arabic جَرْبُوع (jarbūʕ) or يَرْبُوع (yarbūʕ, “jerboa”). Doublet of jerboa.

More words from French, Latin, Arabic

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Arabic عَضَل
  • عَضَل (ʕaḍal)small rodent
Bulgarian пясъчна мишка, песчанка
  • пясъчна мишка (pjasăčna miška)small rodent
  • песчанка (pesčanka)small rodent
Catalan jerbu petit
  • jerbu petitsmall rodent
Chinese Mandarin 沙鼠
  • 沙鼠 (shāshǔ)small rodent
Danish ørkenrotte
  • ørkenrottesmall rodent
Dutch gerbil, springmuis f renmuis
  • gerbilsmall rodent
  • springmuis f renmuissmall rodent
  • woestijnratsmall rodent
Esperanto gerbilo
  • gerbilosmall rodent
Estonian liivahiir
  • liivahiirsmall rodent
Finnish gerbilli
  • gerbillismall rodent
French gerbille
  • gerbillesmall rodent
German Rennmaus, Wüstenrennmaus
  • Rennmaussmall rodent
  • Wüstenrennmaussmall rodent
  • mongolische Rennmaussmall rodent
Hungarian futóegér, versenyegér
  • futóegérsmall rodent
  • versenyegérsmall rodent
Italian gerbillo, ratto delle sabbie
  • gerbillosmall rodent
  • ratto delle sabbiesmall rodent
Japanese スナネズミ, ジャービル
  • スナネズミ (sunanezumi)small rodent
  • ジャービル (jābiru)small rodent
Polish myszoskoczek, gerbil
  • myszoskoczeksmall rodent
  • gerbilsmall rodent
  • suwaksmall rodent
Portuguese gerbilo
  • gerbilosmall rodent
Romanian gerbil
  • gerbilsmall rodent
Russian песча́нка
  • песча́нка (pesčánka)small rodent
Spanish gerbillo, gerbil
  • gerbillosmall rodent
  • gerbilsmall rodent
  • meriónsmall rodent
Swedish ökenråtta, gerbil
  • ökenråttasmall rodent
  • gerbilsmall rodent
Vietnamese chuột nhảy
  • chuột nhảysmall rodent

Rhymes & wordplay

Rhymes with gerbil

herbalverbalburbleDyirbalnon-verbalwirble
All rhymes →

Sounds the same

DyirbalDyirbal

Anagrams

BiglerBilgerGibler
Cite this entry
APA

gerbil. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/gerbil

MLA

“gerbil.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/gerbil. Accessed November 2, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “gerbil,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/gerbil.

Source: gerbil on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.