short-tailed Old World burrowing rodent with large cheek pouches
"The hamster squeezed through the tiny gap in the fence, its large cheek pouches bulging as it carried a stash of seeds."
Any of various Old-World rodent species belonging to the subfamily Cricetinae.
"The local wildlife sanctuary recently expanded its exhibit to house a diverse collection of hamsters, showcasing several rare Old-World rodent species from the subfamily Cricetinae alongside common Syrian varieties."
To secrete or store privately, as a hamster does with food in its cheek pouches.
"He spent all afternoon secretly transferring his savings into an offshore account to hide them from the tax auditors."
The word hamster comes from German, where it originally referred to the animal itself. It replaced an earlier German term that meant "rat.