prairie dog

noun

: any of a genus (Cynomys) of gregarious burrowing rodents of the squirrel family chiefly of central and western U.S. plains
especially : a black-tailed rodent (C. ludovicianus) that usually lives in extensive colonial burrows

Illustration of prairie dog

Illustration of prairie dog

Examples of prairie dog in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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Why getting rid of it is so difficult Preserving the Big Chino Grasslands Hidden within the sea of native grass, prairie dogs pop in and out of their burrows catching glimpses of a red tail hawk circling in the distance. John Leos, The Arizona Republic, 2 Dec. 2024 Their decline was precipitated by westward expansion, which systematically eliminated prairie dog populations—the ferrets' primary food source. Dan Perry, Newsweek, 26 Nov. 2024 The school’s rodeo grounds are pocked with prairie dog holes, and roads to the mobile home park and hogans that house employees are mostly unpaved. Matt Krupnick, ProPublica, 14 Oct. 2024 America’s 26th president also inspired the region’s Theodore Roosevelt National Park, which safeguards his modest log cabin and a pristine slice of the northern mixed grass prairie and many of the species Roosevelt would have encountered, including bison, prairie dogs and wild horses. Cnn.com Wire Service, The Mercury News, 4 Sep. 2024 See all Example Sentences for prairie dog 

Word History

First Known Use

1774, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of prairie dog was in 1774

Dictionary Entries Near prairie dog

Cite this Entry

“Prairie dog.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/prairie%20dog. Accessed 20 Dec. 2024.

Kids Definition

prairie dog

noun
: a black-tailed buff or grayish rodent of central and western U.S. prairies that is related to the squirrels and usually lives in colonies with many burrows

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