red squirrel
Americannoun
noun
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a reddish-brown squirrel, Sciurus vulgaris , inhabiting woodlands of Europe and parts of Asia
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either of two reddish-brown squirrels, Tamiasciurus hudsonicus or T. douglasii , inhabiting forests of North America
Etymology
Origin of red squirrel
An Americanism dating back to 1630–40
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
"Nowadays you are more likely to see a red squirrel than you are a grey squirrel."
From BBC ● Jun. 23, 2026
"We work with and support partner organisations and volunteer red squirrel groups as part of our conservation activity."
From BBC ● May 2, 2026
The country's flora and fauna will feature on them all, with animals including the red squirrel, puffin and dormouse depicted.
From BBC ● Aug. 19, 2025
The researchers sequenced and reconstructed four genomes representing medieval strains of M. leprae, including one from a red squirrel.
From Science Daily ● May 3, 2024
I promised him everything from fried rabbit to a red squirrel stew, but it did no good.
From "Summer of the Monkeys" by Wilson Rawls
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
