hamster

Where does the word "hamster" come from? It comes from Old High German hamustra, and was adopted directly into English (1600s).

Hamster’s story begins in Old High German: hamustra meant “a burrowing rodent.” The burrowing rodent known for storing food in its cheek pouches. It reached English by 1600s as hamster. Syrian golden hamsters were first bred as lab animals in 1930, then became popular pets. Today, hamster means a small burrowing rodent with cheek pouches, popular as a pet.

1. Stage 1 · Old High German · medieval hamustra "a burrowing rodent", the burrowing rodent known for storing food in its cheek pouches.
2. Stage 2 · English · 1600s hamster "a small burrowing rodent kept as a pet", Syrian golden hamsters were first bred as lab animals in 1930, then became popular pets.