prairie dog

American  

noun

1. any of several burrowing rodents of the genus Cynomys, of North American prairies, having a barklike cry: some are endangered.

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prairie dog British  

noun

1. Also called: prairie marmot.  any of several gregarious sciurine rodents of the genus Cynomys, such as C. ludovicianus, that live in large complex burrows in the prairies of North America

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Etymology

Origin of prairie dog

An Americanism dating back to 1765–75

Compare meaning

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

• marmot vs. prairie dog

Example Sentences

Officials say it will help protect the Wyoming toad, an endangered amphibian, while also helping conserve other species including the white-tailed prairie dog and migratory birds.

From Seattle Times • Oct. 11, 2023

During Golden Gophers home games, the school projected the prairie dog from the popular dramatic chipmunk GIF onto its video board to try to distract opposing kickers during field goal attempts.

From Washington Post • Jan. 9, 2023

Dog owners have been overwhelmingly enthusiastic about the concept, said Con Slobodchikoff, the founder and chief executive of Zoolingua, who spent much of his academic career studying prairie dog communication.

From New York Times • Aug. 29, 2022

Starting with a 3-year-old Wisconsin girl bitten by her pet prairie dog, all 72 suspected or confirmed cases had contact with those animals.

From Los Angeles Times • Aug. 19, 2022

Last week he’d made an elaborate trap to catch a prairie dog.

From "Hattie Big Sky" by Kirby Larson