marmot

noun

mar·​mot ˈmär-mət 

: any of a genus (Marmota) of stout-bodied short-legged chiefly herbivorous burrowing rodents of the squirrel family that have coarse fur, a short bushy tail, and very small ears and that hibernate during the winter compare woodchuck

Illustration of marmot

Examples of marmot in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

She is caught up in an awareness of the marmots—of a concurrent marmot universe, of a concurrent marmot metaphysics. —Joseph O’Neill, The New Yorker, 23 Feb. 2025

So, does our index, or the number of adverse events a marmot experienced early on, explain differences in marmot survival? —Discover Magazine, 24 Oct. 2024

Naturalist guide Brooke Edwards of Alaska Wildland Adventures was surprised to hear this comment while explaining to her group that food should not be left out in the open in Denali National Park because animals like bear and marmots would make a grab for it. —Jen Murphy, Outside Online, 18 Sep. 2024

The research station, based at the site of a deserted mining town, was a magnet for weirdos and plant lovers, naturalists and marmot chasers, flower people and climate watchers. —Manvir Singh, The New Yorker, 9 Sep. 2024

Word History

Etymology

French marmotte

First Known Use

1607, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

marmot

noun

mar·​mot ˈmär-mət 

: any of a genus of burrowing rodents with a stout body, short legs, coarse fur, a short bushy tail, and very small ears compare woodchuck

Medical Definition

marmot

noun

mar·​mot ˈmär-mət 

: any of various stout-bodied short-legged burrowing rodents (genus Marmota) with coarse fur, a short bushy tail, and very small ears that are important reservoirs of sylvatic plague