[ro.dent] n [ultim. fr. L rodent-, rodens, prp. of rodere to gnaw; akin to L radere to scrape, scratch, Skt radati he gnaws] (1859) 1: any of an order (Rodentia) of relatively small gnawing mammals (as a mouse, a squirrel, or a beaver) that have in both jaws a single pair of incisors with a chisel-shaped edge
2: a small mammal (as a rabbit or a shrew) other than a true rodent -- rodent adj