vole1

[vohl] /voʊl/
noun
1.
any of several small mouselike or ratlike rodents of the genus Microtus and related genera, having short limbs and a short tail.
Origin
1795-1805; short for volemouse field mouse, perhaps < Norwegian *vollmus, equivalent to voll field (cf. wold1) + mus mouse

vole2

[vohl] /voʊl/
noun
1.
Cards. the winning by one player of all the tricks of a deal.
Idioms
2.
go the vole,
  1. to venture everything on the chance of great rewards.
  2. to try one after another, as a variety of occupations:
    He went the vole and finally settled on watchmaking.
Origin
1670-80; < French, derivative of voler to fly < Latin volāre
Examples from the web for vole
  • The manipulation of a single gene is enough to cure the wandering eye of a meadow vole.
  • Their study was conducted in the prairie vole, a small rodent that mates for life.
  • Well, in a type of rodent called a vole, one thing that controls mate bonding is a brain chemical called vasopressin.
  • Repeat the procedure each time a new mound or vole hole appears on the property.
  • Mice might turn up their noses at alcohol, but not the prairie vole.
  • It turns out that in this case one of the best guides to both levels of explanation is the vole.
  • Often, if you don't control the vole population, there may be little you can do about it.
  • Pine vole populations were estimated by the apple sign test and standard trapping procedures.
  • All but the rock vole are listed as species of special concern.
British Dictionary definitions for vole

vole1

/vəʊl/
noun
1.
any of numerous small rodents of the genus Microtus and related genera, mostly of Eurasia and North America and having a stocky body, short tail, and inconspicuous ears: family Cricetidae See also water vole
Word Origin
C19: short for volemouse, from Old Norse vollr field + musmouse; related to Icelandic vollarmus

vole2

/vəʊl/
noun
1.
(in some card games, such as écarté) the taking of all the tricks in a deal, thus scoring extra points
Word Origin
C17: from French, from voler to fly, from Latin volāre
Word Origin and History for vole
n.

1805, volemouse, literally "field-mouse," with first element probably from Old Norse völlr "field," from Proto-Germanic *walthuz (cf. Icelandic völlr, Swedish vall "field," Old English weald; see wold).