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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
Examples of prairie dog in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
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
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Word History
First Known Use
1774, in the meaning defined above
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 21 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
More from Merriam-Webster on prairie dog
Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about prairie dog
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