Definition of squirrel
squirrels
alsosquirrel
1 : any of various small or medium-sized rodents (family Sciuridae, the squirrel family): such asa : any of numerous New or Old World arboreal forms having a long bushy tail and strong hind legsb : ground squirrel
2 : the fur of a squirrel
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Recent Examples of squirrel from the Web
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Glankler was walking the elderly retriever on her property one day when a squirrel streaked by.
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Turkeys trot by, flying squirrels glide into trees, a coyote stalks a rooster pheasant.
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Unlike many of his more slapdash efforts, there's nothing cheap-looking in the tech work and the unabashed display of vulgarity, silly costumes and bosses dressed as flying squirrels.
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Over the years, the Bordens have cremated iguanas, kangaroos, alpacas, deer, parakeets, squirrels, dogs, cats, goldfish, miniature ponies and more.
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He's found the bones of a woolly mammoth and other ice-age land animals during diving expeditions on the Atlantic Coast and is at work trying to find signs of extinct squirrel-like mammals that may have lived in the underwater forest.
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Stud of the Week • Joey the Squirrel: The pet squirrel from Idaho, who gained fame for attacking a burglar, was released into the wild.
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In the United States, most cases of typhus have come from exposure to flying squirrels.
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Species common to the plantation include Whitetail deer (30+ years of trophy management), Eastern Turkey, Wild hogs, Bob Cats, Coyote and small game such as squirrels, rabbits, opossum and armadillo.
These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'squirrel.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
squirrel
Definition of squirrel
squirreled
orsquirrelled
;squirreling
orsquirrelling
transitive verb
: to store up for future use —often used with away squirrel away some money
Recent Examples of squirrel from the Web
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For sure, there are ways for households to squirrel money out.
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Part of the problem is HIV’s ability to squirrel itself away inside a cell’s DNA—including the DNA of the immune cells that are supposed to be killing it.
These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'squirrel.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Origin and Etymology of squirrel
from the squirrel's habit of storing up gathered nuts and seeds for winter use
SQUIRREL Defined for English Language Learners
squirrel
playDefinition of squirrel for English Language Learners
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: a small animal with a long tail and soft fur that lives in trees
SQUIRREL Defined for Kids
squirrel
playDefinition of squirrel for Students
: a small gnawing animal that is a rodent usually with a bushy tail and soft fur and strong hind legs used especially for leaping among tree branches
History for squirrel
When a squirrel sits up, its long tail curves up and over its head and sometimes casts a shadow. The English word squirrel comes ultimately from the Greek word for a squirrel, skiouros, which is thought to mean “shadow-tailed” (skia, “shadow,” plus oura, “tail”).
Learn More about squirrel
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See words that rhyme with squirrel Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for squirrel Spanish Central: Translation of squirrel Nglish: Translation of squirrel for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of squirrel for Arabic speakers Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about squirrel
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