woodchuck
noun
\
Definition of woodchuck
: a grizzled thickset marmot (Marmota monax) chiefly of Alaska, Canada, and the northeastern U.S.
— called also
groundhog
Examples of woodchuck in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
This is not the first time woodchucks have been caught taking American flags. — Joel Langstein, Fox News, "Woodchucks stole veterans' flags from Massachusetts cemetery, cops say," 19 June 2018 There are all kinds of parables about nature fighting back against evil, but nothing has ever been so explicit as House Speaker Paul Ryan’s recent saga with woodchucks (alias groundhog). — Caitlin Wolper, Teen Vogue, "House Speaker Paul Ryan Says Woodchucks Destroyed His Car," 13 July 2018 There’s a chicken coop that’s been invaded by woodchucks; my mother plays the country game of hide-and-seek armed with animal poison and Havahart traps. — Liz Arnold, Longreads, "Making Peace with the Site of a Suicide," 11 July 2018 Ryan said a family of woodchucks feasted on the Suburban while it was stored at his mother's home in Wisconsin, the Times reported. — Christina Hall, Detroit Free Press, "Reports: Woodchucks feast on House Speaker Paul Ryan's SUV wiring," 12 July 2018 In 2012, woodchucks were suspected of stealing up to 75 flags from Cedar Park Cemetery in Hudson, New York. — Joel Langstein, Fox News, "Woodchucks stole veterans' flags from Massachusetts cemetery, cops say," 19 June 2018 Troubleshooting Problems The biggest threats to carrots are four-footed critters such as deer, gophers, woodchucks, and rabbits. — The Editors Of Organic Life, Good Housekeeping, "Everything You Need To Know To Grow Beautiful Carrots," 30 Aug. 2017 The animals feed on mice, voles, rabbits, and woodchucks, so Pennypack Park could be a good feeding ground. — Frank Kummer, Philly.com, "Mayfair coyote cornered by Philadelphia police and released in Pennypack Park," 25 Apr. 2018 Others include a Canada goose with severe leg injuries from fishing line, a woodchuck with a large lesion on its hindquarters and an opossum with a frostbitten tail. — Meg Jones, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "Clover, the adorable fox kit found abandoned last week, is improving at Humane Society," 22 Mar. 2018These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'woodchuck.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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From the Editors at Merriam-Webster
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Dictionary Entries near woodchuck
Statistics for woodchuck
Last Updated
28 Aug 2018
Look-up Popularity
Time Traveler for woodchuck
The first known use of woodchuck was in 1674
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More Definitions for woodchuck
woodchuck
noun
English Language Learners Definition of woodchuck
: a small, furry North American animal that lives in the ground
See the full definition for woodchuck in the English Language Learners Dictionary
woodchuck
noun
\
Kids Definition of woodchuck
: a reddish brown burrowing animal that is a plant-eating rodent that hibernates during the winter : groundhog
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