dormice

dor·mouse

[dawr-mous]
noun, plural dor·mice [-mahys] .
any small, furry-tailed, Old World rodent of the family Gliridae, resembling small squirrels in appearance and habits.

Origin:
1400–50; late Middle English dormowse, dormoise; etymology obscure; perhaps AF derivative of Old French dormir to sleep (see dormant), with final syllable reanalyzed as mouse, but no such AF word is known

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dormouse (ˈdɔːˌmaʊs) [Click for IPA pronunciation guide]
 
n , pl -mice
any small Old World rodent of the family Gliridae, esp the Eurasian Muscardinus avellanarius, resembling a mouse with a furry tail
 
[C15: dor-, perhaps from Old French dormir to sleep, from Latin dormīre + mouse]

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
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00:10
Dormice is always a great word to know.
So is zedonk. Does it mean:
an extraordinary or unusual thing, person, or event; an exceptional example or instance.
the offspring of a zebra and a donkey.
Etymonline
Word Origin & History

dormouse
c.1425, possibly from Anglo-Fr. *dormouse "tending to be dormant" (from stem of dormir "to sleep," see dormer), with the second element mistaken for mouse, or from a M.E. dial. compound of mouse and M.Fr. dormir. The rodent is inactive in winter. Fr. dormeuse, fem. of dormeur
"sleeper" is only attested from 17c.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
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