Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

lemming

/lɛm.ɪŋ/

Word Rarity Very rare

Frequency: Zipf frequency 2.33 in modern English

Syllables: lem-ming
IPA: /lɛm.ɪŋ/

12

Scrabble Score

7

Letters

2

Syllables

6

Unique Chars

Meaning

noun

A small arctic and subarctic rodent of the tribes Lemmini, Dicrostonychini and Lagurini.

noun

Any member of a group given to conformity or groupthink, especially a group poised to follow a leader off a cliff.

Example Sentences

"The well-known lemmings, in severe winters, at long intervals, move down from the mountains of Scandinavia in immense numbers, crossing lakes and rivers, eating their way through haystacks, and surmounting every obstacle till they reach the sea, whence very few return."
"Lemmings are strongly cohesive, but could be, in organisational terms, highly destructive for the business."
"Like a lemming, I followed the crowd, got to the right line and was concentrating hard when queried by the customs officer."
"“It’s like the one person did it once and since then everyone has followed like lemmings, they all just copy each other’s behaviour,” said [Paul] Loebenberg."

Etymology

From Danish and Norwegian lemming, from Old Norse lómundr, læmingi, læmingr (“lemming”), perhaps from Sami luomek. Sense 2 derives from a longstanding myth that they exhibit so much herd mentality that populations jump off cliffs to their deaths together.

Origin

Source language: Danish

Word Breakdown

Root: -, lemming, lómundr

Regional Pronunciation

British English: /lɛm.ɪŋ/

Inflected Forms

lemmings (plural)

Derived Forms

Eurolemming lemmingism lemminglike

Phrases

bog lemming collared lemming northern bog lemming Norway lemming steppe lemming true lemming wood lemming yellow steppe lemming

Synonyms

sable mouse

Rhymes With

fleming condemning stemming flemming hemming deming heming

Questions

How do you pronounce lemming?: The recorded pronunciation is /lɛm.ɪŋ/.
What does lemming mean?: A small arctic and subarctic rodent of the tribes Lemmini, Dicrostonychini and Lagurini.
Where does lemming come from?: It is traced to Danish.

How to pronounce lemming

Open the pronunciation page — Open the Speakur entry for “lemming”.
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