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.

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of chipmunk¹

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of chipmunk¹

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

Example Sentences

Imagine a greedy chipmunk with its cheeks so full of nuts that when it tries to shove in one more, another nut pops right back out.

From Science News

No matter the breed, size, age, or shape of your dog, if he smells a chipmunk… he’s probably going to run for that chipmunk.

From Popular-Science

Over the winter I saw them in a store and was immediately smitten with this one—a group of animals tucked into their sleeping bags around a campfire—and this one, with a rabbit, an owl, and a chipmunk seated in a canoe.

From Outside Online

On occasion, I sat still enough for birds and chipmunks to forget I was there and flit right in front of my face.

From Outside Online

I tend to stash headlamps like a chipmunk, so they’re always on hand, but I’ve recently found myself grabbing the Zeus Mini, a new LED light from GoPro, instead.

From Outside Online

From the religious (‘The Holly and the Ivy’) to the secular (‘The Chipmunk Song’), my top 20.

From The Daily Beast

The British rapper, better known as Chipmunk, posted a melancholy message a few weeks ago to his followers on Twitter.

From The Daily Beast

The Asiatic chipmunk was first described, under the name Sciurus sibiricus, by Laxmann (1769:69).

From Project Gutenberg

Say (1823:45) described Sciurus quadrivittatus, the first species of chipmunk known from western North America.

From Project Gutenberg

Illiger (1811:83) proposed Tamias as the generic name of the chipmunk of eastern North America.

From Project Gutenberg

The animals who wanted day all the time, and those who wanted day and night, also became quiet,—all except the chipmunk.

From Project Gutenberg

Ever since this council, and the little chipmunk called so long and loud for "light and night," we have had day and night.

From Project Gutenberg