ground squirrel

American  

noun

1. any of several terrestrial rodents of the squirrel family, as of the genus Citellus and chipmunks of the genus Tamias. circ;circ;

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ground squirrel British  

noun

1. Also called: gopher. any burrowing sciurine rodent of the genus Citellus and related genera, resembling chipmunks and occurring in North America, E Europe, and Asia

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Etymology

Origin of ground squirrel

An Americanism dating back to 1680–90

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

ground squirrel

In one striking case, a ground squirrel bone from Olduvai Gorge in Tanzania, dated to about 1.8 million years ago, showed evidence of infection by the parasite that causes sleeping sickness in humans.

From Science Daily ● Jan. 3, 2026

Groundhogs, a type of large ground squirrel native to North America, are commonplace around the track in Montreal, which is on an artificial island in the Saint Lawrence River.

From BBC ● Jun. 16, 2025

Alice Morris, a graduate student at the University of Idaho that researches Idaho’s threatened ground squirrel population, said she’d never seen this type of behavior in her observations and was surprised by the study’s findings.

From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 19, 2024

Yellow-bellied marmots are a large ground squirrel closely related to groundhogs.

From Salon ● Oct. 23, 2024

When one of them managed to kill a ground squirrel or a rabbit, a guinea hen or a grouse, the boys’ aimless play halted and there was suddenly a lot of work to do.

From "A Long Walk to Water" by Linda Sue Park

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