city mouse
In real, traceable use. Part of the curated seed collection; community review is coming.
Meaning · English
A member of support personnel who remains at the base.
Register: slang
Where it’s used:
Used
American English
Examples
[…] before arriving, he'd never thought it would be spent as one of the city mice. Most of the McMurdoans never ranged more than walking distance from the largest town on the entire continent.
Usage example from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-07-30)
Sources & notes
Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-07-30 via kaikki.org).
Common questions
What does “city mouse” mean?
A member of support personnel who remains at the base.
Is “city mouse” formal or informal?
city mouse is generally slang.