squirrel

American  

[skwur-uhl, skwuhr-, skwir-uhl] / ˈskwɜr əl, ˈskwʌr-, ˈskwɪr əl /

noun

plural

squirrels,

plural

squirrel

1. any of numerous arboreal, bushy-tailed rodents of the genus Sciurus, of the family Sciuridae.

2. any of various other members of the family Sciuridae, as the chipmunks, flying squirrels, and woodchucks.

3. the meat of such an animal.

4. the pelt or fur of such an animal.

   a coat trimmed with squirrel.

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verb (used with object)

squirreled, squirreling, squirrelled, squirrelling

1. to store or hide (money, valuables, etc.), usually for the future (often followed byaway ).

   I've squirreled away a few dollars for an emergency.

squirrel British  

/ ˈskwʌr-, ˈskwɜːrəl, ˈskwɪrəl /

noun

1. 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

2. any other rodent of the family Sciuridae , such as a ground squirrel or a marmot

3. the fur of such an animal

4. informal a person who hoards things

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verb

1. informal to store for future use; hoard

Other Word Forms

• squirrel-like
  adjective
• squirrelish
  adjective
• squirrellike
  adjective

Etymology

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

Explanation

Squirrels are rodents that live in trees and have big, bushy tails. You've probably seen many squirrels in the park eating acorns and seeds. A well-known characteristic of squirrels is gathering nuts and seeds to store for the winter: you can say they squirrel away that food. You can squirrel things away, too, like squirreling away money in your savings account to use later. If you find a great sale on snow boots in the middle of summer, you might take advantage of the bargain and squirrel those boots away for your trip to northern Canada in January.

Example Sentences

“This was sent in by Rebecca,” Drizzles says of a photo of a squirrel.

From Los Angeles Times • May 18, 2026

It also wants support for fertility control research and deployment, and protection and enforcement of red squirrel habitat.

From BBC • May 2, 2026

Locals give directions to out-of-towners using churches as landmarks, and a Masonic lodge was promoting a squirrel hunt one recent day.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 24, 2026

When a squirrel takes on your bird feeder, it’s using the same evolutionary tool kit your primate ancestors developed.

From Slate • Jan. 25, 2026

I slowly looked up and saw that the squirrel was gone.

From "Rump: The (Fairly) True Story of Rumpelstilskin" by Liesl Shurtliff