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vole
vole name for a large number of mouselike rodents , related to the lemmings . Most range in length from 3 1/2 to 7 in. (9-18 cm) and have rounded bodies with gray or brown coats, blunt muzzles, small ears concealed in the long fur, and short tails. They are found in a wide variety of habitats. Of the approximately 70 vole species, over 40, distributed throughout North America, Eurasia, and North Africa, are classified in the genus Microtus. These voles typically make runways under dense vegetation or shallow burrows in the ground. They feed chiefly on grasses but also eat bark, leaves, seeds, and insects. They are known in North America as field mice or meadow mice (the Old World field mice are not voles). Like lemmings and various other small rodents, these voles periodically undergo population explosions which cause them to swarm over the countryside. Of similar distribution are the five species of red-backed voles, genus Clethrionomys, which spend much of their time in shrubs and bushes. Species of the North American genus Phenacomys nest in trees and are known as tree mice or lemming mice. The sagebrush vole, Lagarus curtatus, is found in the W United States. Other Lagarus species, found in S Russia and Mongolia, are misleadingly called steppe lemmings. The water vole, Arvicola, of Europe and W Asia, is a large, semiaquatic vole, somewhat resembling the closely related muskrat . Voles are classified in the phylum Chordata , subphylum Vertebrata, class Mammalia, order Rodentia, family Crecetidae. See also mouse . |
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"vole." The Columbia Encyclopedia, 6th ed.. 2008. Encyclopedia.com. 10 Feb. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. "vole." The Columbia Encyclopedia, 6th ed.. 2008. Encyclopedia.com. (February 10, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1E1-vole.html "vole." The Columbia Encyclopedia, 6th ed.. 2008. Retrieved February 10, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1E1-vole.html |
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vole
vole Short-tailed, small-eared, prolific rodent that lives in the Northern Hemisphere. Most voles are greyish-brown, herbivorous ground-dwellers and are small. The semi-aquatic water vole is the largest. Length: to 18cm (7in). Family Cricetidae.
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"vole." World Encyclopedia. 2005. Encyclopedia.com. 10 Feb. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. "vole." World Encyclopedia. 2005. Encyclopedia.com. (February 10, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O142-vole.html "vole." World Encyclopedia. 2005. Retrieved February 10, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O142-vole.html |
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vole
vole / vōl/ • n. a small, typically burrowing, mouselike rodent (Microtus and other genera, subfamily Microtinae) with a rounded muzzle, found in both Eurasia and North America. |
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"vole." The Oxford Pocket Dictionary of Current English. 2009. Encyclopedia.com. 10 Feb. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. "vole." The Oxford Pocket Dictionary of Current English. 2009. Encyclopedia.com. (February 10, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O999-vole.html "vole." The Oxford Pocket Dictionary of Current English. 2009. Retrieved February 10, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O999-vole.html |
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vole
vole2 mouse-like animal (short-tailed field mouse, water-rat, etc.). XIX. orig. vole-mouse — Norw. *vollmus (cf. Icel. vollarmús), f. voll field (ON. vǫllr) + mus MOUSE.
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T. F. HOAD. "vole." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology. 1996. Encyclopedia.com. 10 Feb. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. T. F. HOAD. "vole." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology. 1996. Encyclopedia.com. (February 10, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O27-vole1.html T. F. HOAD. "vole." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology. 1996. Retrieved February 10, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O27-vole1.html |
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vole
vole1 winning of all the tricks in certain card games. XVII. — F., f. voler :- L. volāre fly.
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Cite this article
T. F. HOAD. "vole." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology. 1996. Encyclopedia.com. 10 Feb. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. T. F. HOAD. "vole." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology. 1996. Encyclopedia.com. (February 10, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O27-vole.html T. F. HOAD. "vole." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology. 1996. Retrieved February 10, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O27-vole.html |
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vole
vole See CRICETIDAE.
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MICHAEL ALLABY. "vole." A Dictionary of Zoology. 1999. Encyclopedia.com. 10 Feb. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. MICHAEL ALLABY. "vole." A Dictionary of Zoology. 1999. Encyclopedia.com. (February 10, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O8-vole.html MICHAEL ALLABY. "vole." A Dictionary of Zoology. 1999. Retrieved February 10, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O8-vole.html |
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vole
vole
•barcarole, bole, bowl, cajole, coal, Cole, condole, console, control, dhole, dole, droll, enrol (US enroll), extol, foal, goal, hole, Joel, knoll, kohl, mol, mole, Nicole, parol, parole, patrol, pole, poll, prole, rôle, roll, scroll, Seoul, shoal, skoal, sole, soul, stole, stroll, thole, Tirol, toad-in-the-hole, toll, troll, vole, whole
•Creole
•carriole, dariole
•cabriole • capriole
•aureole, gloriole, oriole
•wassail-bowl • fishbowl • dustbowl
•punchbowl • rocambole • farandole
•girandole • manhole • rathole
•armhole • arsehole • hellhole
•keyhole, kneehole
•peephole
•sinkhole • pinhole • cubbyhole
•hidey-hole • pigeonhole
•eyehole, spyhole
•foxhole
•knothole, pothole
•borehole, Warhol
•porthole • soundhole • blowhole
•stokehole • bolthole • loophole
•lughole, plughole
•chuckhole • buttonhole • bunghole
•earhole • waterhole • wormhole
•charcoal • caracole • Seminole
•pinole
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"vole." Oxford Dictionary of Rhymes. 2007. Encyclopedia.com. 10 Feb. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. "vole." Oxford Dictionary of Rhymes. 2007. Encyclopedia.com. (February 10, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O233-vole.html "vole." Oxford Dictionary of Rhymes. 2007. Retrieved February 10, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O233-vole.html |
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