Campagnol

/ˌkæmpænˈjɔːl/ noun

Definition

A small rodent similar to a vole or field mouse, found in European countryside and known for eating crops and vegetation.

Etymology

From French 'campagnol,' derived from 'campagne' (countryside) with the suffix '-ol,' literally meaning 'a creature of the countryside.'

Kelly Says

Campagnols were such a problem in medieval European agriculture that people conducted actual 'wars' against them, holding festivals and public hunts to kill them—one Polish town even hired a 'rat catcher' position that existed for centuries.

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