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Original · left

Mouse (animal)

A small, nimble rodent with a pointed snout and long, slender tail.

First in use: ancient / pre-modern
Duplicate · right

Computer mouse

A handheld peripheral pointing device used to manipulate a visual cursor across a graphical user interface.

First in use: c. 1964

Mouse / Mouse (animal) / Computer mouse

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Canonical todayMeasuring…
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Colour keyGrey · original meaningGreen · duplicate meaningAmber · contested (40–60%)How colours work

Douglas Engelbart's pointing device.

Which meaning of Mouse is the original, and which one is the duplicate riding on its name? Mouse (animal) came first (ancient / pre-modern). Computer mouse arrived in 1964. The data below shows which one owns the word now.

Wikipedia pageviews since 2015

Mouse (animal)Computer mouse
English Wikipedia pageviews since July 2015 load here.

Duplicate's share of attention

Green line = duplicate's % · above 60 it owns the word · below 40 the original does

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The case for each meaning

Sourced definitions, usage stats and quotes

Original · ancient / pre-modern

Mouse (animal)

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Duplicate · c. 1964

Computer mouse

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More duplicated terms

Hardware & devices