LEMMING Definition & Meaning

lemming

[ lem-ing ]

Phonetic (Standard)IPA

noun

any of various small, mouselike rodents of several genera including Lemmus, Myopus, and Dicrostonyx, of far northern regions, as L. lemmus, of Norway, Sweden, etc., noted for periodic mass migrations that sometimes involve crossing bodies of water. Incidental drownings that have occurred during such passage gave rise to the myth of mass suicides among supposedly frenzied lemmings jumping from cliffs into the sea.
a person who follows the will of others, especially in a mass movement, and heads straight into a situation or circumstance that is dangerous, stupid, or destructive:
These lemmings that eat up conspiracy theories are so blinded by lies, they don’t even see the cliff they’re about to plummet over.

lemming

/ ˈ��ɛ��ɪŋ /

noun

any of various volelike rodents of the genus Lemmus and related genera, of northern and arctic regions of Europe, Asia, and North America: family Cricetidae. The Scandinavian variety, Lemmus lemmus, migrates periodically when its population reaches a peak
a member of any large group following an unthinking course towards mass destruction

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Derived Forms

ˈ��𳾳��Բ�-ˌ��, adjective

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�y��vlog History and Origins

Origin of lemming¹

First recorded in 1600–10; from Norwegian; cognate with Icelandic ��ó��ܲԻ�� “l�𳾳��Բ�,” ��æ��Բ�� “loon”; akin to Gothic laian “to revile,” Icelandic �� “to blame”

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�y��vlog History and Origins

Origin of lemming¹

C17: from Norwegian; related to Latin ��ٰ�� to bark

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Example Sentences

Examples have not been reviewed.

Bones of other animals now extinct in Scotland have also been recovered from the system of caves over the years - including lemming, wild horses, lynx and wolf.

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"This is the new narrative by all the lemmings in the mainstream media this week . . . Trump wants revenge and vengeance," Conway says during the broadcast.

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A week later, Trump was in California raising millions in campaign money from rich lemmings who are blindly following him over history’s cliff.

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So, by the way, are the pathetic Republicans politicians who follow Trump like a horde of lemmings as he tries to lead the nation and the world over the cliff.

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But there was no fountain of youth back then, Brenner noted, and the latest claims of its existence are sure to ultimately disappoint the long lines of lemmings.

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