prairie dog

noun

: any of a genus (Cynomys) of gregarious burrowing rodents of the squirrel family chiefly of central and western U.S. plains

especially : a black-tailed rodent (C. ludovicianus) that usually lives in extensive colonial burrows

Illustration of prairie dog

Examples of prairie dog in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The problem in Arizona is that prairie dog colonies are collapsing, the inhabitants succumbing to the plague or to land users trying to eliminate pests. —Shaun McKinnon, The Arizona Republic, 4 Mar. 2024

Today, the baseline species is the prairie dog, a sociable rodent who lives underground. —Betsy Andrews, Condé Nast Traveler, 24 July 2023

Young prairie dogs emerge from their den for the first time — see it! —Fox News, 14 May 2024

So were habitat-altering ecosystem engineers like beavers, woodpeckers, bison and prairie dogs. —Lesley Evans Ogden, Smithsonian Magazine, 9 May 2024

Female prairie dogs, for example, are smaller than males at the start of breeding season, but essentially the same size as males by the end of it. —Will Sullivan, Smithsonian Magazine, 14 Mar. 2024

Ferrets invade prairie dog dens, eat the prairie dogs and move into the burrow. —Hayleigh Evans, The Arizona Republic, 1 Mar. 2024

However, the state does have prairie dogs, which are grassland squirrels found in the Western U.S. and Mexico. —Laura Daniella Sepulveda, The Arizona Republic, 2 Feb. 2024

In the next enclosure, a pair of prairie dogs perch on logs under the glaring artificial light of an overhead lamp. —Cnn.com Wire Service, The Mercury News, 12 Jan. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1774, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

prairie dog

noun

: a black-tailed buff or grayish rodent of central and western U.S. prairies that is related to the squirrels and usually lives in colonies with many burrows