white-footed mouse

noun

white-foot·​ed mouse ˈ(h)wīt-ˌfu̇-təd- How to pronounce white-footed mouse (audio)
: any of various largely nocturnal mice (genus Peromyscus) of North and Central America typically having whitish feet and underparts
especially : a common woodland mouse (P. leucopus) of North America

Illustration of white-footed mouse

Illustration of white-footed mouse

Examples of white-footed mouse in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The virus is primarily carried by wild rodents, such as deer mice and white-footed mice. — Alyssa Goldberg, USA Today, 18 May 2026 The cycle behind tick bites Both black-legged ticks and white-footed mice are widespread across Pennsylvania. — Emily Bache, The Conversation, 31 Mar. 2026 Trappings near her home in following months caught a variety of deer mice and white-footed mice, though the rodents tested negative for the virus. — Eva Flowe may 6, Charlotte Observer, 6 May 2026 Hantavirus is an infectious disease that's normally spread through contact with rodents such as deer mice, cotton rats, rice rats and the white-footed mouse. — Gina Kalsi, PEOPLE, 22 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for white-footed mouse

Word History

First Known Use

1827, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of white-footed mouse was in 1827

Rhymes for white-footed mouse

See All Rhymes for white-footed mouse

Browse Nearby Words

whitefoot
white-footed mouse
white fox
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“White-footed mouse.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/white-footed%20mouse. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.

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Medical Definition

white-footed mouse

noun
white-foot·​ed mouse ˌ(h)wīt-ˌfu̇t-əd- How to pronounce white-footed mouse (audio)
: a common woodland mouse (Peromyscus leucopus) that has whitish feet and underparts and that is a reservoir for the spirochete of the genus Borrelia (B. burgdorferi) causing Lyme disease

More from Merriam-Webster on white-footed mouse

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about white-footed mouse

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