hamster

Noun

WordNet 3.0

Noun (1)

short-tailed Old World burrowing rodent with large cheek pouches

Webster's Dictionary (GCIDE)

Hamster \Ham"ster\ (-st[~e]r), n. [G. hamster.] (Zool.) A small European rodent (Cricetus frumentarius). It is remarkable for having a pouch on each side of the jaw, under the skin, and for its migrations. Hamsters are commonly kept as a pets. [1913 Webster +PJC]

Free On-line Dictionary of Computing

hamster

1.<programming> (From Fairchild) A particularly slick little piece of code that does one thing well; a small, self-contained hack. The image is of a hamster happily spinning its exercise wheel.

2.<hardware> A tailless mouse; that is, one with an infrared link to a receiver on the machine, as opposed to the conventional cable.

3.<product> (UK) Any item of hardware made by Amstrad, a company famous for its cheap plastic PC-almost-compatibles. [Jargon File]

(1995-02-16)

The Jargon File

hamster n.

1.[Fairchild] A particularly slick little piece of code that does one thing well; a small, self-contained hack. The image is of a hamster happily spinning its exercise wheel.

2.A tailless mouse; that is, one with an infrared link to a receiver on the machine, as opposed to the conventional cable.

3.[UK] Any item of hardware made by Amstrad, a company famous for its cheap plastic PC-almost-compatibles.