Reremouse
/ˈrɪər.maʊs/noun
An archaic English word for a bat.
Did you know?The first element is traditionally connected with an Old English verb meaning “to stir” or “flutter,” while the second is simply “mouse,” making the name a vivid description of a bat’s erratic nighttime flight.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Germanic
Proto-Germanic
*mūs
“Mouse; a small animal, from the ancient Indo-European mouse-word.”
Old English
Old English
hrēremūs
“Bat, literally understood as a moving or fluttering mouse.”
Middle English
Middle English
reremous
“A bat; the initial consonant cluster was reduced as the word evolved.”
14th–15th Century
English
reremowse
“An established poetic or dialectal name for a bat.”
Modern English
English
reremouse
“An obsolete or archaic word for a bat, now largely replaced by “bat.””