chipmunk
Americannoun
-
chipmunks
plural
noun
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of chipmunk
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
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.
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Originally created in 1958, the Alvin and the Chipmunks franchise follows the three singing chipmunk brothers—mischievous Alvin, intellectual Simon and adorable Theodore—and their human father-turned-manager, Dave.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 14, 2026
Her kooky chipmunk moxie lets her get through any script relatively unscathed, including this one.
From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 19, 2026
Scrappy Marie from Glasgow was edged out by Lulu, with her chipmunk smile, sculpted hair and bobby socks.
From BBC ● Sep. 23, 2025
Scientists have also recorded it in a pet chipmunk in Germany and in healthy captive parrots.
From National Geographic ● Dec. 5, 2023
Two pairs of hypnotized eyes followed every movement of the fork to his mouth; the third pair remained fixed on the chipmunk.
From "The Incredible Journey" by Sheila Burnford
Each day, I made the three-mile round trip to inspect the warblers, chipmunks and generally mysterious rustlings of the underbrush.
From Salon ● Jul. 28, 2026
Karman and Bagdasarian stepped back in to voice all six chipmunks for the recent computer-animated series “ALVINNN!!! and the Chipmunks,” which had an eight-year run on Nickelodeon from 2015 to 2023.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 14, 2026
Nearby in the Rosemont Pavilion, the “Go Bowling” float loomed along with 16 other fantastical creations: chipmunks sharing an acorn, the Little Tramp dancing with his girl, B.B.
From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 31, 2024
Vandegrift hopes to trap voles, woodchucks, chipmunks, and porcupines himself.
From Science Magazine ● Apr. 29, 2024
It feels like life on triple fast forward, where everyone’s voices sound like chipmunks.
From "Dumplin'" by Julie Murphy
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