prairie dog

American  

noun

1. any of several burrowing rodents of the genus Cynomys, of North American prairies, having a barklike cry: some are endangered.

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prairie dog British  

noun

1. Also called: prairie marmot.  any of several gregarious sciurine rodents of the genus Cynomys, such as C. ludovicianus, that live in large complex burrows in the prairies of North America

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Etymology

Origin of prairie dog

An Americanism dating back to 1765–75

Compare meaning

How does prairie-dog compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• marmot vs. prairie dog

Example Sentences

It had a microchip inserted beneath its skin for future tracking, before being released back into the prairie dog colony to a soft cheer from Main and Werk.

From Seattle Times • Dec. 8, 2022

Dog owners have been overwhelmingly enthusiastic about the concept, said Con Slobodchikoff, the founder and chief executive of Zoolingua, who spent much of his academic career studying prairie dog communication.

From New York Times • Aug. 29, 2022

As I walked, a prairie dog yelped, and roe deer scurried down into the valley.

From Washington Post • Aug. 26, 2022

Starting with a 3-year-old Wisconsin girl bitten by her pet prairie dog, all 72 suspected or confirmed cases had contact with those animals.

From Los Angeles Times • Aug. 19, 2022

To the south, a red-tailed hawk circled—suddenly it dove toward a prairie dog settlement, but came up empty-handed.

From "The Milagro Beanfield War" by John Nichols