ground squirrel

noun

: any of various burrowing North American and Eurasian rodents (especially genus Spermophilus) of the squirrel family that often live in colonies especially in open areas (such as grasslands)

called also spermophile

Examples of ground squirrel in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Canada lynxes, grizzly bears, North American wolverines and Northern Idaho ground squirrels also have threatened status under federal law. —Idaho Statesman, 22 Apr. 2026

These are specialized cartridges intended for shooting small, non-game animals that are essentially pests, including prairie dogs, ground squirrels, coyotes, foxes and rabbits, that are either a threat to agriculture or wildlife management, or are potentially dangerous. —David Szondy april 19, New Atlas, 19 Apr. 2026

And while squirrels may seem like everyday backyard neighbors, some native species, including the California ground squirrel, have been declining for decades. —Itay Hod, CBS News, 31 Mar. 2026

And other animals, such as ground squirrels, enter an extended form of torpor known as true hibernation. —Jackie Flynn Mogensen, Scientific American, 22 Mar. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1688, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for ground squirrel

• deferral
• referral
• epidural
• postdoctoral
• predoctoral
• neral
• sural

Kids Definition

ground squirrel

noun

: any of numerous burrowing rodents (as gophers and chipmunks) that differ from true squirrels in having cheek pouches and shorter fur