lemming

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lem·ming / ˈleming/ • n. a small, short-tailed, thickset rodent (Lemmus, Dicrostonyx, and other genera, family Muridae) found in the Arctic tundra. The Norway lemming (L. lemmus) is noted for its fluctuating populations and periodic mass migrations. ∎  a person who unthinkingly joins a mass movement, esp. a headlong rush to destruction.

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