noun
gerbil of northern Africa
• Member Holonyms: ↑Meriones, ↑genus Meriones
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\\ˈji(ə)rd\ noun (-s)Etymology: Berber agherda, gherda
: any of several No. African gerbils constituting a genus (Meriones) of the Cricetidae
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/jeard/, n.
1. any of several species of small, burrowing rodents of the genus Meriones, subfamily Gerbillinae, inhabiting dry regions of Asia and northern Africa.
2. gerbil (def. 2).
[said to be < Berber]
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jird /jûrd/
noun
A gerbil of N Africa and Central Asia (genus Meriones)
ORIGIN: Berber (a)gherda
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[jərd]n. a long-tailed burrowing rodent related to the gerbils, found in deserts and steppes from North Africa to China. ● Genus Meriones, family Muridae: several species, in particular M. unguiculatus, popular as a pet
Origin:
from Berber (a)gherda
Useful english dictionary. 2012.