squirrel

[ skwur-uhl, skwuhr- or, especially British, skwir-uhl ]

See synonyms for squirrel on Thesaurus.com

noun,plural squir·rels, (especially collectively) squir·rel.

any of numerous arboreal, bushy-tailed rodents of the genus Sciurus, of the family Sciuridae.
any of various other members of the family Sciuridae, as the chipmunks, flying squirrels, and woodchucks.

the meat of such an animal.
the pelt or fur of such an animal: a coat trimmed with squirrel.

verb (used with object),squir·reled, squir·rel·ing or (especially British) squir·relled, squir·rel·ling.

to store or hide (money, valuables, etc.), usually for the future (often followed by away): I've squirreled away a few dollars for an emergency.

Origin of squirrel

1325–75; Middle English squirel<Anglo-French escuirel (Old French escuireul) ≪ Vulgar Latin *scūrellus,*scūriolus, representing Latin sciurus (<Greek skíouros literally, shadow-tailed (ski(á) shadow + -ouros, adj. derivative of ourá tail); apparently so called because the tail was large enough to provide shade for the rest of the animal) with diminutive suffixes -ellus, -olus

Other words from squirrel

squir·rel·ish, squir·rel·like, adjective

Words Nearby squirrel

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use squirrel in a sentence

While other gliders like flying squirrels have a patagium that stretches to the hind feet, a colugo’s patagium continues all the way to the tip of the tail.
On a cool night in Malaysia, scientists track mysterious colugos across the treetops | Yao-Hua Law | November 20, 2020 | Science News
A chance sighting of a fluorescent flying squirrel in the wild had led the researchers to the mammal collection at the Field Museum in Chicago.
A blue-green glow adds to platypuses’ long list of bizarre features | Christie Wilcox | November 6, 2020 | Science News
They also were carrying more bulk relative to their wing area than present-day gliders like flying squirrels, which meant the dinosaurs would need to glide faster to generate enough lift to keep themselves aloft.
Dinosaurs may have evolved into birds, but early flights didn’t go so well | Kate Baggaley | October 23, 2020 | Popular-Science
So join me in making sure you and all your squirrel friends are registered to vote, have a plan to vote, and will vote early.
Virtual Drag Out the Vote event features ‘Drag Race’ alum | Steph Purifoy | September 11, 2020 | Washington Blade
Squirrels have learned to visit people’s bird feeders, so some coyotes “crouch and hide near bird feeders,” waiting to pounce on a tasty squirrel, says Gehrt.
Are coyotes moving into your neighborhood? | Kathryn Hulick | September 3, 2020 | Science News For Students

Inside the squirrel suit, an intern named Justin can be found.
The RNC Chases Hillary Clinton With a Giant Orange Squirrel | Olivia Nuzzi | June 13, 2014 | THE DAILY BEAST
Williams said the RNC has not decided on a sex or a name for the squirrel other than HRC squirrel.
The RNC Chases Hillary Clinton With a Giant Orange Squirrel | Olivia Nuzzi | June 13, 2014 | THE DAILY BEAST
This is one time where television really fails to capture the true excitement of a large squirrel predicting the weather.
Harold Ramis’s ‘Groundhog Day’ Is About as Perfect as a Movie Gets | Malcolm Jones | February 25, 2014 | THE DAILY BEAST
Then, we see Mr. Rabbit in the woods crushing a squirrel to death with his bare hands.
‘Banshee,’ Cinemax’s Deliciously Over-the-Top Carnival of Sex and Violence, Is Must-See TV | Marlow Stern | January 10, 2014 | THE DAILY BEAST
Instead, Vegard wore a squirrel costume and Bard wore a bear costume.
Ylvis, the Duo of 'The Fox,' Shares Some (Angry) Fox Sounds You Haven't Heard | Anna Brand | October 14, 2013 | THE DAILY BEAST
"My name is Slicko," answered the lively little girl squirrel, as she jumped about.
Squinty the Comical Pig | Richard Barnum
Squinty looked up in the tree, and there he saw a lovely little girl squirrel, frisking about on the branches.
Squinty the Comical Pig | Richard Barnum
One was a hollow tree literally filled with walnuts, gathered presumably by a thrifty squirrel the previous fall.
The Box-Car Children | Gertrude Chandler Warner
Was it some one who had watched the swift, sure-footed spring of a bushy-tailed squirrel from branch to branch?
The Wonder Book of Knowledge | Various
Schwartzmann—who would put an end to his life as casually as he would bring down a squirrel from one of those trees!
Astounding Stories, May, 1931 | Various

British Dictionary definitions for squirrel

squirrel

/ (ˈskwɪrəl, US ˈskwɜːrəl, ˈskwʌr-) /

nounplural -rels or -rel

any arboreal sciurine rodent of the genus Sciurus, such as S. vulgaris (red squirrel) or S. carolinensis (grey squirrel), having a bushy tail and feeding on nuts, seeds, etc: Related adjective: sciurine
any other rodent of the family Sciuridae, such as a ground squirrel or a marmot

the fur of such an animal
informal a person who hoards things

verb-rels, -relling or -relled or esp US -rels, -reling or -reled

(tr usually foll by away) informal to store for future use; hoard

Origin of squirrel

C14: from Old French esquireul, from Late Latin sciūrus, from Greek skiouros, from skia shadow + oura tail

Derived forms of squirrel

squirrel-like, adjective

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

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