jird

This etymology is incomplete. You can help Wiktionary by elaborating on the origins of this term.

Probably from Arabic جُرَذ (juraḏ, “a rat”) in a vulgar pronunciation.

jird (plural jirds)

1. Any of various agricultural pest rodents of genus Meriones or rodents of certain species in the genera Sekeetamys, Brachiones, and sometimes Pachyuromys.
   • 1982, D. A. Denham, “6: Experience with a Screen for Macrofilaricidal Activity Using Transplanted Adult Brugia pahangi in the Peritoneal Cavities of Meriones unguiculatus”, in Dawn Owen, editor, Animal Models in Parasitology, The Macmillan Press Ltd, page 96:

     The jirds are treated with the suspension or solution obtained by this method. Only one jird is used for each compound for the primary screen.

   • 1997, Harold Townson, Chapter 9: Infection of mosquitoes with filaria, J. M. Crampton, C. B. Beard, C. Louis, The Molecular Biology of Insect Disease Vectors, World Health Organization, Chapman & Hall, page 105,

     The jird need not be anaesthetized prior to inoculation.

   • 2012, Stephen A. Felt, Nancy L. Merrill, Fady I. Guirguis, Hussein I. Hussein, “Chapter 53: Egyptian Fat-Tailed Jird”, in Mark A. Suckow, Karla A. Stevens, Ronald P. Wilson, editors, The Laboratory Rabbit, Guinea Pig, Hamster, and Other Rodents, Elsevier (Academic Press), page 1165:

     Escherichia coli has been isolated from jirds that have died of septicemia.

• gerbil
• jerboa