fox squirrel

American

noun

any of several North American arboreal squirrels varying in color and of an exceptionally large size.

fox squirrel British

noun

a large squirrel, Sciurus niger , occurring in E North America

"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

Etymology

Origin of fox squirrel

An Americanism dating back to 1675–85

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:

fox squirrel

“It’s well-documented in our museum records that one of the main ways the fox squirrel was brought into L.A. was through the Sawtelle Veterans Home,” Ordeñana said.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 26, 2024

“The eastern fox squirrel is one of the most adaptable animals out there,” he said.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 26, 2024

Ralph’s photo of a fox squirrel peering imperiously down from a tree is the winner of my 2023 Squirrel Week Squirrel Photography Contest.

From Washington Post ● Apr. 12, 2023

Black squirrels are the result of "interbreeding" between their grey cousins and the North American fox squirrel, a study has concluded.

From BBC ● Aug. 13, 2019

The fox squirrel had been a relatively common animal in the town; after the spraying it was gone.

From "Silent Spring" by Rachel Carson

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023