woodchuck

[ woo d-chuhk ]

/ ˈwʊdˌtʃʌk /

noun

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

Words nearby woodchuck

woodchat, woodchip, woodchipper, woodchop, woodchopper, woodchuck, woodcock, woodcraft, woodcrafter, woodcraftsman, woodcreeper

Origin of woodchuck

1665–75, Americanism; presumably a reshaping by folk etymology of a word in a Southern New England Algonquian language; compare Narragansett (E spelling) ockqutchaun woodchuck

Also called chuck, groundhog.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020

Examples from the Web for woodchuck

Writers upon rural England and her familiar natural history make no mention of the marmot or woodchuck.
Birds and Bees, Sharp Eyes and, Other Papers|John Burroughs
My woodchuck invented that sort of thing all over again on Hubbard squash vines.
Old Plymouth Trails|Winthrop Packard
And Mr. Woodchuck had declared that they must move at once, because it wasn't safe to live in their old house any longer.
The Tale of Old Dog Spot|Arthur Scott Bailey
The marmot or woodchuck, is an impudent and cautious animal and he is a difficult mark for a bowman's aim.
Hunting with the Bow and Arrow|Saxton Pope

This, no doubt, had been made by some woodchuck or other animal, desirous of finding a snug winter home.
Woodcraft|Alan Douglas

British Dictionary definitions for woodchuck

woodchuck

/ (ˈwʊdˌtʃʌk) /

noun

a North American marmot, Marmota monax, having coarse reddish-brown furAlso called: groundhog

Word Origin for woodchuck

C17: by folk etymology from Cree otcheck fisher, marten

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