Meaning
Any of a large number of species of small rodents of the tribes Arvicolini, Ellobiusini, Clethrionomyini, Pliomyini, Phenacomyini and Prometheomyini.
Etymology
Origin: Old Norse
Borrowed from Norn vollj, from Old Norse vǫllr (“field”), from Proto-Germanic *walþuz (“forest”). The Orkney dialectal term vole mouse, lit. “field mouse”, was introduced to general English by George Barry in 1805; John Fleming in 1828 was first to refer to the creature by the epithet vole alone. Displaced earlier names for these species which also classified them as mice, e.g. short-tailed field mouse.
Synonyms & Antonyms
NYT Puzzle Appearances
Accepted in 16 recorded puzzles:
- 2026-08-19VELNOPR
- 2026-07-05ODEFILV
- 2026-04-29VATEGLO
- 2026-02-13LDENOUV
- 2025-09-06VCDELPO
- 2025-05-31LYAVEBO
- 2025-01-29VOANECL
- 2024-09-06VDLFEIO
- 2024-08-13OVETLIN
- 2024-06-28OATVGEL
- 2024-03-06LBENOTV
- 2024-02-14VENIGLO
+4 earlier appearances in the archive.