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

---

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

---

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 ); 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

Example Sentences

There was a pretty songbird labeled a snow lark and a gray-furred rodent called an alpine marmot.

From Literature

Woodland creatures that could carry the disease and should be avoided include chipmunks, wood rats, mice and marmots.

From Los Angeles Times

Yellow-bellied marmots are a large ground squirrel closely related to groundhogs.

From Salon

The researchers collected incisors from rodents that live in different environments: beavers, coypus, squirrels, marmots, rats, voles and mice.

From Science Daily

In the meantime, the visitor center can point you toward alternative year-round destinations and trails open to ramblers from around the world and a diversity of animals, including Roosevelt elks, Olympic marmots and black bears.

From Seattle Times