Illustration of prairie dog
prairie dog
noun
: any of a genus (Cynomys) of gregarious burrowing rodents of the squirrel family chiefly of central and western U.S. plains
especially
: a black-tailed rodent (C. ludovicianus) that usually lives in extensive colonial burrows
Examples of prairie dog in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Even diseases as deadly as the plague don’t kill every prairie dog in a colony.
—
Christine Peterson, Outdoor Life, 25 Dec. 2024
Without prairie dogs, these ferrets would not survive.
—Benji Jones, Vox, 26 Feb. 2025
Their decline was largely due to a combination of habitat loss, diseases including the sylvatic plague and a reduction in their primary food source: prairie dogs.
—David Faris, Newsweek, 4 Nov. 2024
The coyote would sniff each entrance hole to the prairie dog burrow and the badger would wait.
—Stan Tekiela, Twin Cities, 11 Jan. 2024
See All Example Sentences for prairie dog
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Christine Peterson, Outdoor Life, 25 Dec. 2024
Without prairie dogs, these ferrets would not survive.
—Benji Jones, Vox, 26 Feb. 2025
Their decline was largely due to a combination of habitat loss, diseases including the sylvatic plague and a reduction in their primary food source: prairie dogs.
—David Faris, Newsweek, 4 Nov. 2024
The coyote would sniff each entrance hole to the prairie dog burrow and the badger would wait.
—Stan Tekiela, Twin Cities, 11 Jan. 2024
See All Example Sentences for prairie dog
Cite this Entry
“Prairie dog.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/prairie%20dog. Accessed 5 May. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share