lemming
UK[ˈlem.ɪŋ]US[ˈlem.ɪŋ]
n
A small, short-tailed, furry rodent that lives in the Arctic and is known for its periodic mass migrations.
n
A person who unthinkingly joins a mass movement, especially a rush towards destruction or a failed enterprise.
Etymology
The word 'lemming' entered English in the early 17th century from Norwegian 'lemming'. The Norwegian term is likely derived from a Scandinavian source, perhaps related to Old Norse 'lómundr', which referred to a kind of small Arctic rodent. The modern figurative meaning, describing a person who blindly follows a crowd towards disaster, arose in the mid-20th century. This sense is based on the popular but inaccurate myth that lemmings commit mass suicide by jumping off cliffs during migration, a misconception famously perpetuated by a 1958 Disney documentary.
Analysis
The word 'lemming' is a simplex loanword from Norwegian. It does not contain separable morphemes in its modern English form.
Examples
The snowy owl's diet consists primarily of small mammals like the lemming.
Investors who rushed into the speculative bubble were later dismissed as mere lemmings.
The documentary aimed to dispel the long-held myth about lemming behavior.