mice

Meanings

1. 1nounplural

   Small furry rodents with pointed noses and long thin tails, often found in houses and fields.

   Grammar: Plural of mouse: one mouse, two mice.

   Patterns

   • mice in something
   • a family of mice

   We heard mice scratching inside the wall at night.

   Farmers set traps to keep mice out of the grain store.

   The children kept two pet mice in a cage.

2. 2nounpluralcomputing

   Hand-held devices that move a pointer on a computer screen when pushed across a surface.

   Grammar: Plural of mouse in its computer sense.

   Patterns

   • wireless mice
   • a pair of mice

   The lab bought new wireless mice for every desk.

   Some gamers prefer mice with extra buttons on the side.

   Several mice stopped working after the batteries ran out.

Common combinations

field mice

Field mice often move into barns when the weather turns cold.

lab mice

Lab mice are used to test how new medicines work.

trap mice

He set a humane trap to catch mice without hurting them.

infestation of mice

The restaurant closed after an infestation of mice.

wireless mice

Wireless mice need fresh batteries every few months.

Synonyms and how they differ

rodents

Rodents is a wider group that includes rats, squirrels and beavers, so it is less specific than mice.

rats

Rats are bigger than mice, so the two words are not interchangeable even though people often confuse the animals.

Word family

mouse noun

the singular form

mousy adjective

shy and quiet, or dull brown in colour

mouser noun

a cat that catches mice

mousetrap noun

a device for catching mice

Commonly confused: mice or moose? mice or mouses?

Practice

Make it your own

Write a sentence using “mice”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.

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