badger

noun bad·ger \ ˈba-jər \

|Updated on: 14 Jun 2018

Definition of badger

1 a : any of various burrowing mammals (especially Taxidea taxus and Meles meles) of the weasel family that are widely distributed in the northern hemisphere

b : the pelt or fur of a badger

2 capitalized : a native or resident of Wisconsin —used as a nickname

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Recent Examples of badger from the Web

But there were no complaints among the black bears, badgers, javelinas and more celebrating the eighth birthday of Bearizona Wildlife Park Tuesday, May 22.

— scott craven, azcentral, "Bears maul pinatas, savor treats at wild(life) Bearizona birthday party," 23 May 2018
London's busy Leicester Square has been transformed into a nocturnal woodland scene with frogs, hares and badgers taking over the central gardens.

— greg morago, Houston Chronicle, "First look: The Cottonmouth Club," 11 Apr. 2018
New animals in the emoji-verse include raccoons, llamas, hippos, kangaroos, badgers, swans, peacocks, parrots, lobsters, mosquitoes, microbes, and teddy bears.

— ron amadeo, Ars Technica, "Behold, the 157 new emoji for 2018," 8 Feb. 2018
The dogs were bred to assist on badger hunts, a popular pastime in 17th-century Europe.

— brigit katz, Smithsonian, "Germany’s New Dachshund Museum Is Not Just for the Dogs," 10 Apr. 2018
The second factor is that Navarro is as relentless as a honey badger.

— Bloomberg.com, "After Defeating Cohn, Trump’s Trade Warrior Is on the Rise Again," 8 Mar. 2018
Tyrann Mathieu, likely the only honey badger in Arizona not living in captivity, is about to migrate.

— kent somers, azcentral, "Arizona Cardinals release safety Tyrann Mathieu," 14 Mar. 2018
Other animals making their debut include a kangaroo, a peacock, a swan, a badger, a rhino, a llama and a parrot.

— mallorie sullivan, Cincinnati.com, "Brace yourselves: A hippo emoji is coming to your smartphone this year," 9 Feb. 2018
The owls nest in holes abandoned by badgers and other burrowing mammals, but fencing around the depot had discouraged such mammals from making their home on the depot.

— jade mcdowell, The Seattle Times, "Oregon Military Department upgrades Camp Umatilla," 5 Feb. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'badger.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of badger

probably reduction of bageard, badgerde, from badge + -ard; from the white mark on its forehead

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 1523

in the meaning defined at sense 1a

See Words from the same year

Other Mammals Terms

dormouse, dugong, gibbon, grimalkin, sable, stoat, ungulate, vole

badger

verb

Definition of badger

badgered; badgering; badgers

transitive verb

: to harass or annoy persistently

… the mill foreman so taunted the workers, so badgered them and told them that they dared not quit …
—Sinclair Lewis

See badger defined for English-language learners

Examples of badger in a Sentence

She finally badgered me into cutting my hair.

Recent Examples of badger from the Web

This did not go over well, as the palace had chastised the media for badgering him.

— BostonGlobe.com, "Here’s everything you always wanted to know about the royal wedding drama (but were afraid to ask)," 17 May 2018
Butler bogged down the trial by delving into legal arcana and badgering the president’s witnesses and lawyers.

— erick trickey, Washington Post, "‘Kill the beast’: The impeachment trial that nearly took down a president 150 years ago," 16 May 2018
But after a pep talk from her mom, Meghan rushes to the private airstrip where Harry's plane is taking off and badgers security into letting her through.

— kelly lawler, USA TODAY, "10 ridiculously great moments from Lifetime's 'Harry & Meghan: A Royal Romance' TV movie," 14 May 2018
These are wonderful qualities, being edgy, insulting, badgering.

— Fox News, "Trump slams 'disgraceful' leak of Mueller questions," 2 May 2018
While many were impressed by the 36-year-old’s display (including NBA legend Allen Iverson), Hart, 38, couldn’t help but badger the athlete from the sidelines.

— char adams, PEOPLE.com, "Dwyane Wade Thanks Kevin Hart's Trash Talk for His Amazing NBA Playoff Performance," 17 Apr. 2018
But a video released on Tuesday shows police in Tenafly, New Jersey exercising remarkable restraint in the face of badgering by Caren Turner, a commissioner from the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey.

— timothy b. lee, Ars Technica, "“You may shut the f— up”: Dashcam vindicates cops confronting corruption," 25 Apr. 2018
The Retrievers badgered Hartford into committing a season-worst 20 turnovers and failing on four of 20 clears.

— edward lee, baltimoresun.com, "Defense for UMBC men’s lacrosse team stifles Hartford in 8-3 victory," 21 Apr. 2018
Reporters must wait a few more days to badger individual House members on this question, as that chamber doesn't return until next week.

— Washington Post, "The Health 202: Hatch's retirement means the Senate could get even less bipartisan on health care," 3 Jan. 2018

Origin and Etymology of badger

from the sport of baiting badgers

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 1782

in the meaning defined above

See Words from the same year

Synonym Discussion of badger

bait, badger, heckle, hector, chivy, hound mean to harass by efforts to break down. bait implies wanton cruelty or delight in persecuting a helpless victim.

- baited the chained dog

badger implies pestering so as to drive a person to confusion or frenzy.

- badgered her father for a car

heckle implies persistent annoying or belligerent interruptions of a speaker.

- drunks heckled the stand-up comic

hector carries an implication of bullying and domineering.

- football players hectored by their coach

chivy suggests persecution by teasing or nagging.

- chivied the new student mercilessly

hound implies unrelenting pursuit and harassing.

- hounded by creditors

BADGER Defined for English Language Learners

badger

noun

Definition of badger for English Language Learners

: a type of animal that lives in the ground and has short thick legs and long claws on its front feet

BADGER Defined for Kids

badger

noun bad·ger \ ˈba-jər \

Definition of badger for Students

: a furry burrowing animal with short thick legs and long claws on the front feet

badger

verb

Definition of badger for Students

badgered; badgering

: to annoy again and again

Learn More about badger

See words that rhyme with badger Spanish Central: Translation of badger Nglish: Translation of badger for Spanish speakers Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about badger

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badger

Definition of badger

Recent Examples of badger from the Web

Origin and Etymology of badger

Other Mammals Terms

badger

Definition of badger

Examples of badger in a Sentence

Recent Examples of badger from the Web

Origin and Etymology of badger

Synonym Discussion of badger

BADGER Defined for English Language Learners

badger

Definition of badger for English Language Learners

BADGER Defined for Kids

badger

Definition of badger for Students

badger

Definition of badger for Students

Learn More about badger

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