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:
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
"It was feeling pretty decent up until then. And then, I didn't see it happen, but obviously I heard I hit a groundhog," said Hamilton.
From BBC ● Jun. 16, 2025
The groundhog family lives in a climate-controlled burrow at the local library.
From Seattle Times ● May 13, 2024
Nor did she see Broadfoot the moose or Digdown the groundhog.
From "The Wild Robot Escapes" 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
Yellow-bellied marmots are a large ground squirrel closely related to groundhogs.
From Salon ● Oct. 23, 2024
The Pennsylvania Game Commission says about 36,000 hunters reported killing more than 200,000 groundhogs last year.
From Seattle Times ● Jan. 30, 2024
Designated groundhogs in other Canadian provinces were luckier in fulfilling their duty.
From Reuters ● Feb. 2, 2023
“Oh, looked for groundhogs up on the hill. Fooled around,” I tell him.
From "Shiloh" by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor
Definitions 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.
