Small rodents with cheek pouches for storing food, commonly kept as pets. Members of the subfamily Cricetinae, known for their burrowing behavior and nocturnal activity.
From German Hamster, from Old High German hamustro, possibly related to Old Church Slavonic chomestoru meaning 'hoarder.' The word entered English in the 17th century, reflecting the animal's characteristic behavior of hoarding food in its cheek pouches.
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