marmot

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 According to German and French folklore, when marmots and bears came out of their dens too early during the winter, they were scared by their own shadows and went back in for four to six weeks. — Dallas News, "Dallas Arboretum’s groundhog guest predicts an early spring for Dallas," 2 Feb. 2020 Early cases of the virus were thought to have originated in a wholesale seafood market in Wuhan, a city of more than eleven million people, where live animals such as dogs, cats, rats, hedgehogs, and marmots are also sold. — Jiayang Fan, The New Yorker, "What It’s Like to Try to Get Treatment for the Coronavirus in China," 28 Jan. 2020 The outbreak was initially linked to a live animal market in the city, which contained a range of animals, including chickens, bats, marmots, snakes, and other wild animals. — Ars Technica, "Here’s the latest on the novel coronavirus outbreak in Wuhan," 28 Jan. 2020 The market — which sold seafood, poultry, bats, and marmots among other animals — closed on Jan. 1 and since then China has seen no new cases of the illness. — Shari Rudavsky, Indianapolis Star, "The Wuhan coronavirus: What to know about this new disease worrying global health experts," 22 Jan. 2020 The market sold seafood, but also chickens, bats, marmots, and other wild animals. — Beth Mole, Ars Technica, "Never-before-seen virus may be behind mystery outbreak in China," 8 Jan. 2020 At reasonable ranges and with careful bullet placement, the .22 LR can deliver the goods for hunting foxes, marmots, raccoons, even close-range coyotes. — Ron Spomer, Outdoor Life, "Rimfire Showdown: .22 WMR vs. .17 HMR vs. .17 WSM," 18 Nov. 2019 From the late 17th century, Russian fur traders, lured by the abundant sea otter, seal, mink, marmot, beaver, and bear populations, set up outposts defended by Russian garrisons. — Harry Pearson, Condé Nast Traveler, "To Best Experience Alaska’s Burgeoning Local Food Movement, Go in Winter," 20 Dec. 2019 Hoary marmots, flying squirrels and tundra swans prepare for sleep in their respective safe havens. — David James, Anchorage Daily News, "5 Alaska children’s books perfect for gifting this holiday season," 23 Nov. 2019

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.

Keep scrolling for more

Learn More about marmot

Dictionary Entries near marmot

Statistics for marmot

Last Updated

11 Feb 2020

Cite this Entry

“Marmot.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/marmot. Accessed 19 Feb. 2020.

Keep scrolling for more

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

Keep scrolling for more