Dormouse

/ˈdɔːrmaʊs/ noun

Definition

A small furry rodent that hibernates for long periods, known for being extremely sleepy and dormant during winter months.

Etymology

From Old English dormouse, combining dormition (sleep) with mouse. The name literally means 'sleeping mouse' because of the creature's famous hibernation periods lasting months.

Kelly Says

The dormouse is so famously sleepy that Lewis Carroll put one at the tea party in Alice—it's practically narcoleptic and sleeps through entire seasons!

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