[Orig. vole-mouse, ad. Norw. *vollmus (Icel. vallarmús), f. voll (Icel. völlr, Sw. vall) field + mus mouse.] One or other of various rat- or mouse-like quadrupeds, esp. the short-tailed field-mouse, Microtus (formerly Arvicola) agrestis; the water-rat, M. amphibius; and the red or bank vole, Evotomys glareolus; also, the genus or genera to which these belong. Also † vole-mouse.

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1805.  Barry, Orkney, III. i. 314. The Short-tailed Field Mouse,… which with us has the name of the vole mouse.

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1828.  J. Fleming, Brit. Anim., 23. Arvicola, Vole.—No subsidiary incisors. Roots of the grinders simple…. Tail round and hairy.

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1840.  Cuvier’s Anim. Kingd., 114. The Voles … have three grinders above and below. Ibid. The Muskquash,… which is a Vole with semi-palmated hind-feet.

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c. 1880.  Cassell’s Nat. Hist., III. 115. The true Voles … number about fifty known species.

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  attrib.  1895.  J. A. Harvie-Brown & T. E. Buckley, Moray Basin, II. 64. May the vole-plague ravage the land of those who neglect this plain-featured fact!

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1906.  Country-Side, 6 Jan., 100/3. A committee of gentlemen who had come specially to investigate the ‘vole’ question.

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  b.  With distinguishing terms (see quots. and prec.; also WATER-VOLE).

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1840.  Cuvier’s Anim. Kingd., 114. The *Alsacian Vole … lives under ground like the Mole.

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1843.  Zoologist, I. 72. The *bank vole or bank mouse.

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1888.  Encycl. Brit., XXIV. 278/1. The Bank-Vole (Arvicola glareolus).

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1840.  Cuvier’s Anim. Kingd., 114. The *Economic Vole … inhabits a sort of oven-shaped chamber.

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1828.  J. Fleming, Brit. Anim., 23. The *field vole is most destructive in gardens to seeds.

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1864.  [H. W. Wheelwright], Spring Lapl., 239. Besides these we had another species of field vole (the Lemmus medius, Nilss.) which is peculiar to the north.

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1840.  Cuvier’s Anim. Kingd., 114. *Meadow Vole…. Size of a Mouse, reddish ash-colour.

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1896.  Lydekker, Brit. Mammals, 308. The *northern Vole (Microtus ratticeps), and the *Siberian Vole (M. gregalis).

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1875.  Encycl. Brit., I. 633/1. Fauna of the Alps … [includes] the *snow-vole (Arvicola nivalis).

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  Hence Voledom, the world of voles. rare–1.

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1892.  Chambers’s Jrnl., 25 June, 407/2. The young mice being greedily gulped down by the black bogies, whose appearance must be the prevailing terror of voledom.

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