chipmunk

[ chip-muhngk ]

noun
  1. any of several small, striped, terrestrial squirrels of the genera Tamias, of North America, and Eutamia, of Asia and North America, especially T. striatus, of eastern North America.

Origin of chipmunk

1
An Americanism dating back to 1825–35; assimilated variant of earlier chitmunk, apparently from Ojibwe ačitamo·nʔ “red squirrel,” equivalent to ačit- “headfirst, face-down” + derivational elements; so called from the squirrel's manner of descending trees

Words Nearby chipmunk

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How to use chipmunk in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for chipmunk

chipmunk

/ (ˈtʃɪpˌmʌŋk) /


noun
  1. any burrowing sciurine rodent of the genera Tamias of E North America and Eutamias of W North America and Asia, typically having black-striped yellowish fur and cheek pouches for storing food

Origin of chipmunk

1
C19: of Algonquian origin; compare Ojibwa atchitamon squirrel, literally: headfirst, referring to its method of descent from trees

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