prairie dog

noun

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

Examples of prairie dog in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Tennis player Andy Roddick pointedly posted a photo of a grown prairie dog. — The Washington Post, Anchorage Daily News, 8 June 2022 She'd been bitten by a pet prairie dog infected with monkeypox. — Fifth & Mission Podcast, San Francisco Chronicle, 25 May 2022 The client with the prairie dog was an exotic animal breeder who also sold animals to pet stores, Zaeske said. — Daniella Silva, NBC News, 24 May 2022 This 2003 electron microscope image made available by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows a monkeypox virion, obtained from a sample associated with the 2003 prairie dog outbreak. — Maria Cheng, BostonGlobe.com, 23 May 2022 According to a release from the Boston zoo, the seven prairie dog pups were born around March 20. — Stephanie Wenger, PEOPLE.com, 13 May 2022 Arthur Trevino won the Animals of the Land Category Award with his photo of a bald eagle looking quite terrified of a little prairie dog. — Gabriela Miranda, USA TODAY, 19 Nov. 2021 Deer grass plants were replaced in the prairie dog enclosure after the animals dug up and ate the first ones planted. — San Diego Union-Tribune, 10 Mar. 2022 The ferrets were released Oct. 20 in prairie dog towns between McIntosh and Bullhead, said Michael Gutzmer, ecologist with New Century Environmental, the Nebraska company that provides biological services to the tribe, The Bismarck Tribune reports. — From Usa Today Network And Wire Reports, USA TODAY, 23 Nov. 2021 See More

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'prairie dog.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.