Definition

1. Noun:
   • Striped field mouse: A small rodent species (Apodemus agrarius) characterized by a distinctive dark stripe along its back, commonly found in fields and grasslands.
   • Small mouse/rat: In common dialectal usage, it can refer generally to a small type of mouse or rat.

Usage Examples

• Noun:
  • Trong vườn có nhiều chuột lắt. (There are many striped field mice in the garden.)
  • Chuột lắt thường làm tổ trong các bụi cây. (Striped field mice often build nests in bushes.)

Advanced Usage

• This term is primarily used in specific regional dialects of Vietnamese. In formal or scientific contexts, the standard species name "chuột đồng vằn lưng" (literally: striped-back field mouse) or the scientific name is preferred.
• It is often used in contrast to larger rodent species like "chuột cống" (sewer rat) or "chuột nhà" (house mouse).

Variants and Related Words

• Chuột nhắt (n): A more common, standard term for a small mouse. "Chuột lắt" is considered a dialectal variant of this word.
• Chuột đồng (n): Field mouse.
• Chuột đồng vằn lưng (n): The formal Vietnamese name for the striped field mouse ().

Synonyms

• Chuột nhắt: Small mouse.
• Chuột đồng: Field mouse.

Notes on Meaning

• The primary zoological reference is to the specific species (the striped field mouse).
• In everyday dialectal speech, it is often used interchangeably with "chuột nhắt" to mean any small mouse, losing the specific zoological precision.