Definition of prairie dog
: 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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Merriam-Webster unabridged
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Time Traveler for prairie dog
The first known use of prairie dog was in 1774
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