: 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
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Bison roam freely, wild horses graze on ridges, and entire prairie dog towns pop up along the roadside.—Karthika Gupta, Travel + Leisure, 11 Mar. 2026 The post featured a precious photo of the prairie dog resting flat on his back on a fuzzy pillow.—Bebe Hodges, Cincinnati Enquirer, 5 Mar. 2026 The statue was modeled after a real prairie dog.—Jalen Williams, Freep.com, 27 Jan. 2026 It's become the boy who cried wolf, bear, moose, badger, wombat, elephant, natterjack toad, mandrel, meerkat, blue whale, lesser skink, prairie dog, ferret, wildebeest, dingo, tree kangaroo, sloth, anteater, blue-footed booby, Norwegian Blue, and half the catalog in the Museum of Natural History.—New Atlas, 24 Jan. 2026 See All Example Sentences for prairie dog
: a black-tailed buff or grayish rodent of central and western U.S. prairies that is related to the squirrels and usually lives in colonies with many burrows