lemming
nounUK /lɛm.ɪŋ/
Etymology From Danish and Norwegian lemming, from Old Norse lómundr, læmingi, læmingr (“lemming”), perhaps from Sami luomek. Sense 2 derives from a longstanding myth that they exhibit so much herd mentality that populations jump off cliffs to their deaths together.
1
A small arctic and subarctic rodent of the tribes Lemmini, Dicrostonychini and Lagurini.
- The well-known lemmings, in severe winters, at long intervals, move down from the mountains of Scandinavia in immense numbers, crossing lakes and rivers, eating their way through haystacks, and surmounting every obstacle till they reach the sea, whence very few return.1876, Alfred Russel Wallace, The Geographical Distribution of Animals, chapter 2, page 18:
2
Figuratively Any member of a group given to conformity or groupthink, especially a group poised to follow a leader off a cliff.
- Lemmings are strongly cohesive, but could be, in organisational terms, highly destructive for the business.2004, Ilse Hobbs, Jan Havenga, A Practical Guide to Strategy, →ISBN, page 127:
- Like a lemming, I followed the crowd, got to the right line and was concentrating hard when queried by the customs officer.2014, M.P. Fedunkiw, A Degree of Futility, page 61:
1 more example
- “It’s like the one person did it once and since then everyone has followed like lemmings, they all just copy each other’s behaviour,” said [Paul] Loebenberg.2026 January 31, Raphael Boyd, quoting Paul Loebenberg, “‘It’s ridiculous’: publicans bemused by rise of single-file queues to get served”, in The Guardian, →ISSN:
- Synonyms
- sable mouse
- Derived terms
- bog lemming, collared lemming, Eurolemming, lemmingism, lemminglike, northern bog lemming, Norway lemming, steppe lemming, true lemming, wood lemming, yellow steppe lemming