marmot

[mahr-muht]

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

/ 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

Word History and Origins

Origin of marmot¹

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of marmot¹

C17: from French marmotte, perhaps ultimately from Latin mūr- (stem of mūs ) mouse + montis of the mountain

Example Sentences

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

From Los Angeles Times

We then used this index to gain insights about the survival and longevity of yellow-bellied marmots.

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

The cries of mammalian infants, for example, can be incredibly similar, to the point that white-tailed deer will respond to whimpers whether they're made by marmots, humans or seals.

From Scientific American