chipmunk

noun

chip·​munk ˈchip-ˌməŋk How to pronounce chipmunk (audio)
: any of a genus (Tamias) of small striped North American and Asian rodents of the squirrel family

Example Sentences

Recent Examples on the Web Carden steals several scenes just by finding absurd ways to consume rehearsal snacks, taking a dozen bites of a single grape like a chipmunk Jessica Rabbit. Naveen Kumar, Variety, 21 Apr. 2023 Bogart, in his chipmunk way, was a curly-haired nerd, but Jeremy Jordan, the Broadway actor who plays him, is suave and willowy, like Chris Pine’s little brother. Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 2 Apr. 2023 On the hillside, a chipmunk is rustling. Ed Yong, The Atlantic, 13 June 2022 Keep in Mind: There’s no way to keep squirrels or chipmunks away from this feeder. Kristen (kj) Callihan, Better Homes & Gardens, 24 Mar. 2023 She is obsessed with country vinyl records, gardening, chipmunks and birds at her home in Maine. Quartz Staff, Quartz, 10 Mar. 2023 Not a squirrel, but a chipmunk. Cathy Free, Washington Post, 3 Nov. 2020 Directed by Akiva Schaffer of The Lonely Island, the film is a live-action/animation hybrid that follows Chip and Dale as middle-aged chipmunk actors. Carson Burton, Variety, 4 Sep. 2022 Krypto has to team up with the motley crew of Ace, pig PB (Bayer), elderly turtle Merton (Lyonne) and a chipmunk named Chip (Diego Luna) to save Superman and the Justice League, who have been captured by the gang of superpowered guinea pigs. Katie Walsh, Los Angeles Times, 27 July 2022 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'chipmunk.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

alteration of earlier chitmunk, probably from Ojibwa ačitamo·nʔ red squirrel

First Known Use

1830, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of chipmunk was in 1830

Dictionary Entries Near chipmunk

Cite this Entry

“Chipmunk.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/chipmunk. Accessed 27 May. 2023.

Kids Definition

chipmunk

noun
chip·​munk ˈchip-ˌməŋk How to pronounce chipmunk (audio)
: any of numerous small striped animals of North America and Asia related to the squirrels

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