Illustration of prairie dog
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
One of the United States’ four prairie dog species, the Utah prairie dog, is listed as threatened.
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Austin Corona, The Arizona Republic, 23 Sep. 2024
In their underground burrows, prairie dogs huddle together in communal nests to maintain warmth and further reduce their energy expenditure.
—Scott Travers, Forbes, 15 Sep. 2024
The burrow system itself provides an insulating environment that helps moderate temperature fluctuations, allowing prairie dogs to remain relatively stable even as external conditions become extreme.
—Scott Travers, Forbes, 15 Sep. 2024
Seventy-two people in six states became infected by pet prairie dogs that had been housed together with rodents imported from Ghana.
—Byjon Cohen, science.org, 16 Aug. 2024
See all Example Sentences for prairie dog 
Austin Corona, The Arizona Republic, 23 Sep. 2024
In their underground burrows, prairie dogs huddle together in communal nests to maintain warmth and further reduce their energy expenditure.
—Scott Travers, Forbes, 15 Sep. 2024
The burrow system itself provides an insulating environment that helps moderate temperature fluctuations, allowing prairie dogs to remain relatively stable even as external conditions become extreme.
—Scott Travers, Forbes, 15 Sep. 2024
Seventy-two people in six states became infected by pet prairie dogs that had been housed together with rodents imported from Ghana.
—Byjon Cohen, science.org, 16 Aug. 2024
See all Example Sentences for prairie dog
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'prairie dog.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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“Prairie dog.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/prairie%20dog. Accessed 17 Oct. 2024.
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