marmot

noun

mar·mot | \ ˈmär-mət

Definition of marmot

: 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

Examples of marmot in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Higher up near the alpine regions, black pine yields to sheer granite and slate peaks, and chamois, ptarmigan, stoat and marmots peer curiously at visitors, while griffon vultures and golden eagles soar overhead. — Smithsonian, "Explore Catalonia’s Most Beautiful Nature Parks," 15 June 2018 This strategy works for birds, squirrels, deer, marmots, chipmunks, elk, moose, and bears, but sadly, not wolves. — Madeleine Trebenski, Outside Online, "Rules of the Trail for Terrible People," 1 July 2018 The first larkspur wildflower is showing up eight days earlier and the marmots are coming out of hibernation five days earlier, according to data gathered by the Rocky Mountain Biological Lab. — Seth Borenstein, Fox News, "Not just heat: Climate change signs can be seen all around," 19 June 2018 Dinner guests were reportedly pleased at how tender the marmot meat was when properly prepared, tasting like a cross between pork and chicken. — Michael S. Rosenwald, Washington Post, "The truth about Groundhog Day: Punxsutawney Phil is 131-year-old fake news," 2 Feb. 2018 In town, the greengrocer finds a fuzzy, marmot-like creature with elephantine ears in a crate of oranges. — Frances Leech, Longreads, "Forgetting the Madeleine," 3 May 2018 Your odds of seeing wild animals — ranging from arctic ground squirrels, marmots and Dall sheep to bears and moose — are good, considering the trail isn't as trafficked as others in the Chugach. — Bailey Berg, Anchorage Daily News, "Make the most of your trip with these hikes near Anchorage," 2 May 2018 Today, Punxsutawney Phil emerged from his marmot hole in Pennsylvania, saw his shadow, and scurried back inside, subjecting us to six more weeks of winter. — Madeleine Aggeler, The Cut, "Groundhog Bites Journalist, We Get 6 More Weeks of Blood," 2 Feb. 2018 Other marmots who hear these calls respond appropriately, looking around and scurrying to their burrows. — National Geographic, "Whistling Caterpillars And 5 More Surprisingly Musical Species," 26 Apr. 2017

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

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Last Updated

16 Dec 2018

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The first known use of marmot was in 1607

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More Definitions for marmot

marmot

noun

English Language Learners Definition of marmot

: a small animal of America and Europe that has short legs and that lives in holes that it digs in the ground

See the full definition for marmot in the English Language Learners Dictionary

marmot

noun

mar·mot | \ ˈmär-mət

Kids Definition of marmot

: a stocky burrowing animal with short legs and a bushy tail that is related to the squirrels

marmot

noun

mar·mot | \ ˈmär-mət

Medical Definition of marmot

: 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