Word Origin and History for semi-Expand before vowels sem-, word-forming element meaning half, part, partly; partial, imperfect; twice, from Latin semi-half, from PIE *semi-half (cf. Sanskrit sami half, Greek hemi-half, Old English sam-, Gothic sami-half).
Well-known rodents include mice, rats, squirrels, prairie dogs, porcupines, beavers, guinea pigs, hamsters, gerbils and capybaras. Other animals such as rabbits, hares, and pikas, whose incisors also grow continually, were once included with them, but are now considered to be in a separate order, the Lagomorpha.
Like us on Facebook. According to Grandpa, any wild mammal that invades your home or garden is a rodent, often lovingly referred to as a varmint.. This turns out to be not quite so. We know that mice, rats, and hamsters are rodents, but other animals that resemble mice or rats may or may not belong to the order Rodentia.