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squirrel
[ skwur-uhl, skwuhr- or, especially British, skwir-uhl ]
/ ˈskwɜr əl, ˈskwʌr- or, especially British, ˈskwɪr əl /
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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.
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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, adjectiveWords nearby squirrel
squiredom, squireen, squireling, squirm, squirmy, squirrel, squirrel away, squirrel cage, squirrel corn, squirrelfish, squirrel monkey
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2021
How to use squirrel in a sentence
British Dictionary definitions for squirrel
squirrel
/ (ˈskwɪrəl, US ˈskwɜːrəl, ˈskwʌr-) /
noun plural -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, etcRelated 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
Derived forms of squirrel
squirrel-like, adjectiveWord Origin for squirrel
C14: from Old French esquireul, from Late Latin sciūrus, from Greek skiouros, from skia shadow + oura tail
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
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