woodchuck

American  

[wood-chuhk] / ˈwʊdˌtʃʌk /

noun

1. a stocky North American burrowing rodent, Marmota monax, that hibernates in the winter.

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woodchuck British  

/ ˈwʊdˌtʃʌk /

noun

1. Also called: groundhog.  a North American marmot, Marmota monax, having coarse reddish-brown fur

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Etymology

Origin of woodchuck

First recorded in 1665–75, presumably a reshaping by folk etymology of a word in a Southern New England Algonquian language; compare Narragansett ( English spelling) ockqutchaun “woodchuck”

Compare meaning

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

• marmot vs. woodchuck

Explanation

Woodchuck is another name for a groundhog, the chubby rodent commonly found in North America. Some gardeners consider woodchucks to be pests, but they help keep the soil healthy by burrowing. After groundhog, woodchuck is the most common name for this furry marmot, officially classified as a ground squirrel. Woodchucks have round bodies, short tails, and long teeth, and their underground digging annoys people who love their perfect lawns. All that burrowing is actually helpful, exposing compacted soil to oxygen and bringing nutrients to plant roots, making woodchucks garden heroes. The name comes from the Cree otchek, which describes a different mammal, the weasel-like marten.

Example Sentences

In the novel, we get to know the men by their nicknames: Mexique, Judas, One-Eyed Dah-veed, Monsieur Pet-airs, the Young Pole, Bill the Hollander, Garibaldi, Surplice, the Woodchuck and so on.

From New York Times • Jul. 21, 2020

Coulier sold his Mr. Woodchuck puppet--seen on "Full House"--to Toys R Us, and he's pitching an animated series based on the character.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 18, 2016

Employees at Woodchuck Hard Cider picked 7,020 pounds of apples for the program.

From Washington Times • Oct. 4, 2015

Punxatoonie: For a few weeks around Groundhog Day, this station plays such fare as “Me and My Shadow,” “Muskrat Love,” “Here Comes the Sun” and “How Much Wood Could a Woodchuck Chuck?”

From Washington Post • Dec. 10, 2014

“I’m going to climb that big tree and see what’s going on. Park Service rangers at the John Burroughs Woodchuck Lodge? Humph. Some story.”

From "Frightful's Mountain" by Jean Craighead George