-miŋ noun
( -s )
Etymology: Norwegian lemming, lemende, lomund, from Old Norse lōmundr (assumed from accusative plural lōmundi ); akin to Old Norse lōmr guillemot, lō curlew, Gothic laíloun they derided, Latin latrare to bark — more at lament
: any of several small rodents of circumpolar distribution belonging to the genera Lemmus and Dicrostonyx, being four or five inches long with a very short tail, furry feet, and small ears, usually colored tawny yellowish varied with black and reddish, and best known for the recurrent mass migrations of a European form ( L. lemmus ) which often continue into the sea where vast numbers are drowned