marmot
[ mahr-muht ]
/ ˈmɑr mət /
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noun
any bushy-tailed, stocky rodent of the genus Marmota, as the woodchuck.
any of certain related animals, as the prairie dog
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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
Words nearby marmot
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Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2021
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British Dictionary definitions for marmot
marmot
/ (ˈmɑːmət) /
noun
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
prairie marmot another name for prairie dog
Word Origin for marmot
C17: from French marmotte, perhaps ultimately from Latin mūr- (stem of mūs) mouse + montis of the mountain
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