marmot

American  

[mahr-muht] / ˈmɑr mət /

noun

1. any bushy-tailed, stocky rodent of the genus Marmota, as the woodchuck.

2. any of certain related animals, as the prairie dog

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marmot British  

/ ˈmɑːmət /

noun

1. any burrowing sciurine rodent of the genus Marmota, of Europe, Asia, and North America. They are heavily built, having short legs, a short furry tail, and coarse fur

2. another name for prairie dog

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Etymology

Origin of marmot

First recorded in 1600–10; from French marmotte, Old French, apparently noun derivative of marmotter “to mutter, murmur” (referring to the whistling noises made by such animals), equivalent to marm- imitative base denoting a variety of indistinct, continuous sounds + -ot(t)er suffix of expressive verbs (though verb is attested only in modern French ); cf. murmur

Compare meaning

How does marmot compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• marmot vs. woodchuck
• marmot vs. prairie dog

Explanation

A marmot is a furry animal that looks like a very large squirrel. The groundhog is the most solitary member of the marmot family. Marmots are the heaviest members of the squirrel family, weighing as much as 22 pounds. You can find these big rodents all over the Northern Hemisphere, from the French Alps to the steppes of Eurasia. Although groundhogs prefer to keep to themselves, many marmots are quite social. They all have long front teeth that keep growing, requiring them to gnaw constantly, and are herbivores. Marmot is derived from the Latin murem montis, "mountain mouse."

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

marmot

In 2016, a boy was diagnosed with a strand of plague after handling a marmot in Russia’s Altai region.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 5, 2026

“It looks like a parking lot full of giant Christmas presents,” said Eileen Vasko, a server at the Silver City Mountain Resort, which sells marmot caps and magnets.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 27, 2026

In one video, a female marmot chases away a male who got too comfortable in her burrow.

From BBC ● Aug. 5, 2026

But the platform flagged that he did not look like the account's profile photo of a marmot.

From BBC ● Aug. 5, 2026

The marmot glances back at me, squeals, and tears across the duff-covered ground, disappearing into the dense brush on the other bank.

From "Wayward Creatures" by Dayna Lorentz