# hamster

> English word · Noun · IPA /ˈhæm(p)stɚ/ · frequency rank #19,356

## Definitions
1. Any of various Old World rodent species belonging to the subfamily Cricetinae.
2. Any of various Old World rodent species belonging to the subfamily Cricetinae.
3. Any of various other rodents of similar appearance, such as the maned hamster or crested hamster, Lophiomys imhausi, mouse-like hamsters of genus Calomyscus, and the white-tailed rat (Mystromys albicaudatus).

## Etymology
Borrowed from German Hamster (see for etymology). Displaced earlier term German rat.

## Easily confused with
- **haste** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/hamster-vs-haste)
- **hater** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/hamster-vs-hater)
- **Hester** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/hamster-vs-hester)
- **hasten** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/hamster-vs-hasten)
- **Hauser** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/hamster-vs-hauser)
- **hatter** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/hamster-vs-hatter)
- **hipster** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/hamster-vs-hipster)
- **holster** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/hamster-vs-holster)
- **Hamer** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/hamer-vs-hamster)
- **hammer** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/hammer-vs-hamster)
- **hamper** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/hamper-vs-hamster)
- **halter** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/halter-vs-hamster)

## Common misspellings (11)
`ahmster`, `hammster`, `hamsetr`, `hamsster`, `hamsterr`, `hamstre`, `hamstter`, `hamtser`, `hasmter`, `hhamster`, `hmaster`

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/hamster