1. hamster wheel - Noun
2. hamster wheel - Verb
A circular cage for a hamster or other small rodent, which rotates vertically as the animal runs at the bottom.
(figuratively, by extension) A monotonous, repetitive, unfulfilling activity, especially one in which no progress is achieved.
hamster wheel (third-person singular simple present hamster wheels, present participle hamster wheeling, simple past and past participle hamster wheeled)
(intransitive, informal) To cycle fruitlessly.
hamster-wheel