Definition

Noun 1. A species of rodent: Lemmus lemmus is the scientific name for the Norway lemming, a small, short-tailed rodent found in the tundra regions of northern Scandinavia and northwestern Russia. It is known for its dramatic population fluctuations and periodic mass migrations.

Usage Notes

• The term is used in formal, scientific, and zoological contexts. In general English, the common name "Norway lemming" is more frequently used.
• It is a proper noun (the scientific name of a species) and is typically italicized in writing.

Examples

• Scientific Context:
  • The study focused on the population cycles of Lemmus lemmus in northern Finland.
  • A key subject in arctic ecology is Lemmus lemmus, the Norway lemming.
• General Context (using the common name derived from it):
  • The lemming (Lemmus lemmus) is often cited in discussions about animal migration myths.

Advanced Usage

• The behavior of has entered popular culture and language metaphorically. The phrase "like lemmings" is used to criticize people who unthinkingly follow a crowd into a potentially dangerous situation, based on the inaccurate myth that the animals commit mass suicide by jumping off cliffs.

Variants and Related Words

• Lemming (n): The common name for rodents of the subfamily Lemminae, which includes the genus . It most commonly refers to .
• Norway lemming (n): The full common name for .

Synonyms

• Norway lemming
• (Colloquially) lemming

Idioms and Phrases

• To behave like lemmings: To follow the actions of a group without independent thought or consideration of the consequences.
  • The investors behaved like lemmings, rushing to buy the stock just because everyone else was.
• A lemming-like rush: A headlong, impulsive movement by a large group of people.
  • There was a lemming-like rush to adopt the new technology before it was properly tested.

Noun

1. notable for mass migrations even into the sea where many drown