groundhog
Americannoun
-
groundhogs
plural
noun
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of groundhog
Explanation
Groundhogs are large rodents that are native to North America. Legend has it that if a groundhog emerges from hibernation and sees its shadow on February 2, there will be six more weeks of winter. Gardeners and ranchers consider groundhogs to be pests, because they nibble on vegetables and plants and have a habit of tunneling underground to construct elaborate burrows. These stocky rodents are closely related to marmots, prairie dogs, and squirrels. In some parts of the U.S. they're known as woodchucks, and in other regions people call them whistle pigs. Historians trace the first Groundhog Day to the mid 19th century.
Vocabulary lists containing groundhog
This Week in Words: Current Events Vocab for February 2–February 8, 2025
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This Week in Words: Current Events Vocab for August 17–August 23, 2024
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
He pointed out that the crash he had in Canada when he hit a groundhog had been costly because there was a new engine in the car that weekend, which was written off.
From BBC ● Oct. 27, 2026
A 3D groundhog could replace a weary Punxsutawney Phil.
From MarketWatch ● Jan. 22, 2026
"A key challenge is ensuring that fiscal groundhog day doesn't become a twice-yearly ritual," Ms Miller said.
From BBC ● Oct. 15, 2025
As the German-speaking Pennsylvania Dutch settled in America, the tradition moved stateside with a groundhog replacing the badger.
From BBC ● Feb. 2, 2025
“What was it saying?” said Digdown the groundhog.
From "The Wild Robot" by Peter Brown
There have been a number of incidents where drivers have collided with groundhogs at the Canadian Grand Prix, including one last year involving Hamilton's Ferrari.
From BBC ● May 22, 2026
Designated groundhogs in other Canadian provinces were luckier in fulfilling their duty.
From Reuters ● Feb. 2, 2023
We see this with the occasional bubonic plague outbreak, which is caused by the bacteria Yersinia pestis and lives in wild rodents like groundhogs.
From Salon ● Jan. 24, 2023
None of the other animals tested around the farm — two dogs, a cat, raccoons, opossums, striped skunks, rats, groundhogs and rabbits — were infected, but one dog tested positive for antibodies, officials said.
From Seattle Times ● May 23, 2022
She asked her burrowing friends, the moles and the groundhogs, to dig through the dirt and loosen the soil.
From "The Wild Robot" by Peter Brown
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Get a wordDefinitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
