chipmunk

[ chip-muhngk ]

/ ˈtʃɪp mʌŋk /

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noun

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.

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Origin of chipmunk

1825–35, Americanism; assimilated variant of earlier chitmunk, apparently <Ojibwa 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

chip graft, chip heater, chip in, chip log, chipmaker, chipmunk, chip off the old block, chipolata, chip on one's shoulder, chipotle, chippage

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2021

How to use chipmunk in a sentence

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.
Best dog pen: Keep your pup safe and happy in these versatile containers|Irena Collaku|August 20, 2021|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.
The Gear Our Editors Loved in June|The Editors|July 2, 2021|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.
How Nature Helped Me Recover from an Eating Disorder|Kate Siber|March 25, 2021|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.
The Gear Our Editors Loved in November|The Editors|December 4, 2020|Outside Online

From the religious (‘The Holly and the Ivy’) to the secular (‘The Chipmunk Song’), my top 20.
Yes, I Like Christmas Music. Stop Laughing.|Michael Tomasky|December 24, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The British rapper, better known as Chipmunk, posted a melancholy message a few weeks ago to his followers on Twitter.
Does Twitter Prevent Suicide?|Benjamin Popper|November 29, 2009|DAILY BEAST
The Asiatic chipmunk was first described, under the name Sciurus sibiricus, by Laxmann (1769:69).
Genera and Subgenera of Chipmunks|John A. White
Say (1823:45) described Sciurus quadrivittatus, the first species of chipmunk known from western North America.
Genera and Subgenera of Chipmunks|John A. White
Illiger (1811:83) proposed Tamias as the generic name of the chipmunk of eastern North America.
Genera and Subgenera of Chipmunks|John A. White
The animals who wanted day all the time, and those who wanted day and night, also became quiet,—all except the chipmunk.
Stories the Iroquois Tell Their Children|Mabel Powers
Ever since this council, and the little chipmunk called so long and loud for "light and night," we have had day and night.
Stories the Iroquois Tell Their Children|Mabel Powers

British Dictionary definitions for chipmunk

chipmunk

/ (ˈtʃɪpˌmʌŋk) /

noun

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 Origin for chipmunk

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

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

chipmunk

Origin of chipmunk

Words nearby chipmunk

learn more about chipmunk

How to use chipmunk in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for chipmunk

Word Origin for chipmunk