Illustration of white-footed mouse
white-footed mouse
noun
white-foot·ed mouse
ˈ(h)wīt-ˌfu̇-təd- 
: any of various largely nocturnal mice (genus Peromyscus) of North and Central America typically having whitish feet and underparts
especially
: a common woodland mouse (P. leucopus) of North America
Examples of white-footed mouse in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The team collected museum specimens for the brown rat, house mouse, Eastern grey squirrel, Eastern chipmunk, muskrat, white-footed mouse, fox squirrel and Southern flying squirrel, making anatomical measurements of each for statistical comparisons.
—
Ashley Strickland, CNN Money, 16 Oct. 2025
Mourning doves and white-footed mice eat violet seeds.
—Sheryl De Vore, Chicago Tribune, 29 Apr. 2025
Lyme disease is spread by Borrelia burgdorferi, a bacteria a tick acquires when feeding on white-footed mice.
—Seth Roeser, Twin Cities, 5 Apr. 2025
Lyme Disease Outbreaks Form A Puzzle With Many Pieces
The white-footed mouse, or Peromyscus leucopus, lies at the heart of the Lyme disease lifecycle.
—Scott Travers, Forbes.com, 5 Apr. 2025
Their Shocking Causes of Death Revealed by Authorities Hantavirus is an infectious disease that’s normally spread through contact with rodents such as deer mice, cotton rats, rice rats and the white-footed mouse.
—Vanessa Etienne, People.com, 8 Mar. 2025
Winter conditions could send house mice and white-footed mice indoors.
—Julia Jacobo, ABC News, 25 Feb. 2025
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Ashley Strickland, CNN Money, 16 Oct. 2025
Mourning doves and white-footed mice eat violet seeds.
—Sheryl De Vore, Chicago Tribune, 29 Apr. 2025
Lyme disease is spread by Borrelia burgdorferi, a bacteria a tick acquires when feeding on white-footed mice.
—Seth Roeser, Twin Cities, 5 Apr. 2025
Lyme Disease Outbreaks Form A Puzzle With Many Pieces
The white-footed mouse, or Peromyscus leucopus, lies at the heart of the Lyme disease lifecycle.
—Scott Travers, Forbes.com, 5 Apr. 2025
Their Shocking Causes of Death Revealed by Authorities Hantavirus is an infectious disease that’s normally spread through contact with rodents such as deer mice, cotton rats, rice rats and the white-footed mouse.
—Vanessa Etienne, People.com, 8 Mar. 2025
Winter conditions could send house mice and white-footed mice indoors.
—Julia Jacobo, ABC News, 25 Feb. 2025
Cite this Entry
“White-footed mouse.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/white-footed%20mouse. Accessed 30 Oct. 2025.
Copy CitationMedical Definition
white-footed mouse
noun
white-foot·ed mouse
ˌ(h)wīt-ˌfu̇t-əd-
: a common woodland mouse (Peromyscus leucopus) that has whitish feet and underparts and that is a reservoir for the spirochete of the genus Borrelia (B. burgdorferi) causing Lyme disease
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share