# Plural Of 'Mouse' ( Computer)?
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/plural-of-mouse-computer/957101
**Category:** In My Humble Opinion
**Created:** [January 2, 2022, 10:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/plural-of-mouse-computer/957101 "2022-01-02T22:27:29Z")
**Posts on this page:** 20
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@Jim\_B](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jim_B)
#### Post date: [January 2, 2022, 10:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/plural-of-mouse-computer/957101/1 "2022-01-02T22:27:29Z")
What exactly is the plural of ‘mouse’ (computer)?
I swear to G^d I’ve heard ‘mouses’ somewhere.
In any event I’ve never heard ‘mice’ (have _you_?).
🙂
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### Author:  [@Telemark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telemark)
#### Post date: [January 2, 2022, 10:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/plural-of-mouse-computer/957101/2 "2022-01-02T22:30:29Z")
I’ve always used “mice” in conversation at the office.
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### Author:  [@dolphinboy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dolphinboy)
#### Post date: [January 2, 2022, 10:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/plural-of-mouse-computer/957101/3 "2022-01-02T22:57:39Z")
I think either one would be acceptable, but I personally would use mice.
“In computer terms, a mouse is a corded or wireless device that moves your computer’s cursor while you move the mouse. In most cases, the plural of mouse is " **mice** ,” but more than one computer mouse can also be called “mouses.” Mouse can also be a verb in this context, like when you mouse over an icon to select a link."
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### Author:  [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)
#### Post date: [January 2, 2022, 10:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/plural-of-mouse-computer/957101/4 "2022-01-02T22:58:54Z")
> [@Jim\_B](#):
>
> In any event I’ve never heard ‘mice’ (have _you_ ?).
You’ve _never_ heard mice used as the plural for computer mice?
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### Author:  [@Jim\_B](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jim_B)
#### Post date: [January 2, 2022, 11:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/plural-of-mouse-computer/957101/5 "2022-01-02T23:08:13Z")
@Dewey_Finn No, I honestly never have 🙂 .
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### Author:  [@Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elmer_J.Fudd)
#### Post date: [January 2, 2022, 11:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/plural-of-mouse-computer/957101/6 "2022-01-02T23:10:23Z")
Strange. I don’t think the occasion has ever arisen where I actually needed to know the plural of mouse. What percentage of people ever deal with more than one at a time?
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### Author:  [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)
#### Post date: [January 2, 2022, 11:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/plural-of-mouse-computer/957101/7 "2022-01-02T23:15:00Z")
You must live a _very_ sheltered existence
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### Author:  [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)
#### Post date: [January 2, 2022, 11:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/plural-of-mouse-computer/957101/8 "2022-01-02T23:49:57Z")
[Allan Sherman]
A pair of “mouse” is “mice”
A pair of “moose” is “meese”
[/Allan Sherman]
– _One Hippopotami_
Although, according to noted expert Mr. Jinks, the plural of “mouse” is “Meeses”, as in “I hate meeses to pieces”
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### Author:  [@Bullitt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bullitt)
#### Post date: [January 3, 2022, 12:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/plural-of-mouse-computer/957101/9 "2022-01-03T00:02:25Z")
> [@Dewey\_Finn](#):
>
> You must live a _very_ sheltered existence
I live and work in Silicon Valley tech and I’ve never heard of it either.
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### Author:  [@Jophiel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jophiel)
#### Post date: [January 3, 2022, 12:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/plural-of-mouse-computer/957101/10 "2022-01-03T00:19:45Z")
PCGamer, PC World, Tom’s Hardware and Tech Radar all use “mice” in my top level Google hits so I’m going to guess that “mice” is the preferred plural.
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### Author:  [@Telemark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telemark)
#### Post date: [January 3, 2022, 12:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/plural-of-mouse-computer/957101/11 "2022-01-03T00:28:33Z")
> [@Bullitt](#):
>
> I live and work in Silicon Valley tech and I’ve never heard of it either.
Really? As in “We need to order more mice for the new sales laptops.” I work in east coast tech and it’s pretty common.
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### Author:  [@Monty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Monty)
#### Post date: [January 3, 2022, 12:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/plural-of-mouse-computer/957101/12 "2022-01-03T00:28:40Z")
On the subject of computer mouses/mice…there’s even a unit of measurement connected to them: [mickey](https://whatis.techtarget.com/definition/mickey), of course.
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### Author:  [@AHunter3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AHunter3)
#### Post date: [January 3, 2022, 1:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/plural-of-mouse-computer/957101/13 "2022-01-03T01:05:22Z")
Rodentia.
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### Author:  [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)
#### Post date: [January 3, 2022, 2:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/plural-of-mouse-computer/957101/14 "2022-01-03T02:03:39Z")
We use “mice” to talk about the mice in a computer lab. Back before optical mice were developed, we had to have a sign “Please do not neuter the mice” to help reduce vandalism.
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### Author:  [@E-DUB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/E-DUB)
#### Post date: [January 3, 2022, 2:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/plural-of-mouse-computer/957101/15 "2022-01-03T02:06:08Z")
A reference to removing the balls.
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### Author:  [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)
#### Post date: [January 3, 2022, 2:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/plural-of-mouse-computer/957101/16 "2022-01-03T02:24:46Z")
I’ve also seen “mousen”, but I think that was mostly in jest. Mostly.
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### Author:  [@Bullitt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bullitt)
#### Post date: [January 3, 2022, 3:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/plural-of-mouse-computer/957101/17 "2022-01-03T03:21:55Z")
> [@Telemark](#):
>
> > [@Bullitt](#):
> >
> > I live and work in Silicon Valley tech and I’ve never heard of it either.
>
> Really? As in “We need to order more mice for the new sales laptops.” I work in east coast tech and it’s pretty common.
Yeah really. I’m in SW engineering, not in sales/support or IT. That may be why.
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### Author:  [@Telemark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telemark)
#### Post date: [January 3, 2022, 3:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/plural-of-mouse-computer/957101/18 "2022-01-03T03:44:22Z")
I’m in engineering too, but we order mice when needed.
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### Author:  [@Smapti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smapti)
#### Post date: [January 3, 2022, 4:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/plural-of-mouse-computer/957101/19 "2022-01-03T04:20:25Z")
I’ve always gone with “meeces” myself.
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### Author:  [@Robot\_Arm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Robot_Arm)
#### Post date: [January 3, 2022, 4:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/plural-of-mouse-computer/957101/20 "2022-01-03T04:20:47Z")
> [@Jim\_B](#):
>
> I swear to G^d I’ve heard ‘mouses’ somewhere.
And the one speck of food that he left in the house
Was a crumb that was even too small for a mouse.
Then he did the same thing to the other Whos’ houses
Leaving crumbs much too small for the other Whos’ mouses!
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