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: any of a genus (Marmota) of stout-bodied short-legged chiefly herbivorous burrowing rodents of the squirrel family that have coarse fur, a short bushy tail, and very small ears and that hibernate during the winter compare woodchuck
Examples of marmot in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Phil, the most famous weather predicting marmot in the business, emerged to the cheering applause of thousands who gathered in Pennsylvania for Groundhog Day.
—John Tufts, The Courier-Journal, 2 Feb. 2024
Other notable wildlife species include the Olympic marmot, Olympic snow mole and Olympic torrent salamander, which aren’t found anywhere else in the world.
—Eve Chen, USA TODAY, 16 Mar. 2024
No insult meant to our shadow-seeing marmot friend (Marmota monax to be precise), but Valentine's Day usually grabs most of the attention in February.
—K. Thor Jensen, PCMAG, 1 Feb. 2024
On Friday, the divining marmot did not see his shadow, indicating an early spring.
—Jackie Wattles, CNN, 2 Feb. 2024
And this is me in shorts and a T-shirt hiding under a blanket sunning on a grassy knoll and my marmot is with me.
—Masha Gessen, The New Yorker, 19 Jan. 2024
Keep your eyes peeled for marmots and the occasional eagle.
—By
sunset, Sunset Magazine, 21 Sep. 2023
Within a few years, a handful of cornerstone species, including marmots, red and fallow deer, wild hamsters, and koniks—ponies thought to be distant descendants of the now extinct European wild horse—were once again roaming the countryside.
—Johanna Chisholm, WIRED, 23 July 2023
Because of mini bears—the mice, rats, squirrels, rabbits, marmots, pikas, raccoons, porcupines, gray jays, and other small animals that reside in popular front-country and backcountry campsites.
—Andrew Skurka, Outside Online, 26 Jan. 2019
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'marmot.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
Etymology
French marmotte
First Known Use
1607, in the meaning defined above
Articles Related to marmot
Dictionary Entries Near marmot
Cite this Entry
“Marmot.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/marmot. Accessed 12 Jun. 2024.
Kids Definition
Medical Definition
marmot
noun
mar·mot
ˈmär-mət
: any of various stout-bodied short-legged burrowing rodents (genus Marmota) with coarse fur, a short bushy tail, and very small ears that are important reservoirs of sylvatic plague
More from Merriam-Webster on marmot
Nglish: Translation of marmot for Spanish Speakers
Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about marmot
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