marmot

noun

mar·​mot ˈmär-mət 

: any of a genus (Marmota) of stout-bodied short-legged chiefly herbivorous burrowing rodents of the squirrel family that have coarse fur, a short bushy tail, and very small ears and that hibernate during the winter compare woodchuck

Illustration of marmot

Examples of marmot in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

By the end of the nineteenth century, health tourists could easily travel to Davos, in the east of Switzerland, where the mountain vistas were more dramatic and newer treatments, such as chest rubs with marmot fat, awaited. — D. T. Max, New Yorker, 26 Oct. 2026

Better still are the mountain views that surround the lake and the robust collection of wildlife that call this place home, from voles, shrews, and marmots to elk, black bears, and porcupines. — Tiney Ricciardi, Denver Post, 10 Oct. 2026

Wildflowers blanket the high country in July and early August, while elk, bighorn sheep, marmots, and pika are especially active throughout the summer months. — Bailey Berg, Travel + Leisure, 5 Oct. 2026

At an afterparty at La Marmotte (French for marmot, a stout ground-dwelling squirrel. — Matthew Carey, Deadline, 7 Sep. 2026

Word History

Etymology

French marmotte

First Known Use

1607, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

marmot

noun

mar·​mot ˈmär-mət 

: any of a genus of burrowing rodents with a stout body, short legs, coarse fur, a short bushy tail, and very small ears compare woodchuck

Medical Definition

marmot

noun

mar·​mot ˈmär-mət 

: any of various stout-bodied short-legged burrowing rodents (genus Marmota) with coarse fur, a short bushy tail, and very small ears that are important reservoirs of sylvatic plague