From: "Rebecca Allbritton" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
| >>
| >>This is true. They are in different Orders in the Animal Kingdom (what
a
| >>sexist word.)
| >
| >Animal or Kingdom?
|
| Kingdom. ;p
*****Oy veh! Kingdom, Queendom, Royaltydom ... whatever.
|
| >>However, I did check the dictionary, and it said rodent can
| >>be used to mean any small mammals.
| >
**** Also respectfully, but I'm going to show off. I just got a Short
Oxford English Disctionary CD-ROM imported from across the pond. It
defines "rodent" solely as:
n. Zool. A mammal of the order Rodentia, characterized by strong
continuously-growing incisor teeth and no canines, and including rats,
mice, squirrels, voles, and beavers. M19.
I also respect Merriam-Webster (I grew up in a town where Noah Webster did
much of his defining in order to cast off British influence from American
language). And my only fat print dictionary is a Random House -- which
uses as an ex. of the adjective "rodent": "The rodent-like teeth of a
rabbit."
I guess I'd bet most people don't class rabbits as rodents.
