rodent; gnawing animal
Biological term for animals of the order Rodentia. The gloss 'gnawing animal' is a literal description of the kanji meaning.
Mice and squirrels are classified as rodents.
Rodents' teeth continue to grow throughout their lives.
Standard kanji spelling for 'rodent' in biological contexts.
Mixed kanji-kana spelling; the first character is often written in kana because 齧 is not a jōyō kanji.
Compound of 齧 (げっ, 'gnaw'), 歯 (し, 'tooth'), and 動物 (どうぶつ, 'animal'). The reading げっ for 齧 is irregular and likely derived from the kanji's on'yomi.