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 The lead conservationist is a large, fluffy ground squirrel known as a marmot. — San Diego Union-Tribune, 17 Feb. 2022 The animal rights group has recommended replacing groundhogs with an animatronic rodent powered by artificial intelligence or with persimmon seeds — which are perhaps worse at predicting the weather than a marmot. — Washington Post, 2 Feb. 2022 But the most vivid memory was my encounter with a curious and hungry marmot. — San Diego Union-Tribune, 30 Oct. 2021 While on Hurricane Ridge Mountain in Olympic National Park, Moubon and Masoom were approached by several black-tailed deer and a marmot. — Washington Post, 9 Aug. 2021 But for all its cuteness, the Vancouver Island marmot is a role model in resiliency, Taylor added. — Rochelle Baker, Wired, 28 Nov. 2020 The marmot can offer a portion of hope in this doomsday scenario. — Rochelle Baker, Wired, 28 Nov. 2020 Saving the Vancouver Island marmot is critical for reasons beyond its own survival, Taylor stressed. — Rochelle Baker, Wired, 28 Nov. 2020 The marmot is believed to have caused the 1911 pneumonic plague epidemic, which killed about 63,000 people in northeast China. — Nectar Gan And Jessie Yeung, CNN, 7 Aug. 2020 See More

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

21 Mar 2022

Cite this Entry

“Marmot.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/marmot. Accessed 20 May. 2022.

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More Definitions for marmot

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