chipmunk

noun

chip·​munk ˈchip-ˌməŋk 

: any of a genus (Tamias) of small striped North American and Asian rodents of the squirrel family

Examples of chipmunk in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The study, published June 26, focused on chipmunks and voles, aiming to compare the evolution of above- and below-ground species. —Lily Carey, Chicago Tribune, 9 July 2025

For example, squirrels will bury and dig up nuts in the lawn and mulched beds, while chipmunks tend to make holes near stumps, buildings and brush piles. —Arricca Elin Sansone, Southern Living, 8 May 2025

Three stories above the Field Museum’s exhibits, rows and rows of taxidermied chipmunks filled a tray in the museum’s mammal archives. —Lily Carey, Chicago Tribune, 9 July 2025

The skulls of chipmunks became larger over time, while the row of teeth along the sides of their mouths became shorter. —Soo Kim, MSNBC Newsweek, 27 June 2025

Word History

Etymology

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

First Known Use

1830, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

chipmunk

noun

chip·​munk ˈchip-ˌməŋk 

: any of numerous small striped animals of North America and Asia related to the squirrels