Phrase guide

ground squirrel

noun · 4 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

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1

noun

Meaning 1

Any of a number of medium-sized squirrel-like burrowing rodents of the tribe Marmotini (i.e., excluding the smaller chipmunks and the larger marmots and prairie dogs).

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, uncountable

Examples

  • 2003, University of California Agriculture and Natural Resources, Integrated Pest Management for Walnuts, UCANR Publication 3270, page 23, In some areas, ground squirrels may present a potential health problem because they carry ectoparasites that may transmit diseases such as bubonic plague to humans. The adult California ground squirrel has a head and body 9 to 11 inches (23-28 cm) long and a somewhat bushy tail that is about as long as the body.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

Any of the other squirrel-like burrowing rodents of the subfamily Marmotinae.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, uncountable

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

noun

Meaning 3

any of various terrestrial burrowing rodents of Old and New Worlds; often destroy crops

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: gopher, spermophile

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: squirrel

Narrower terms: antelope squirrel, whitetail antelope squirrel, antelope chipmunk, Citellus leucurus, mantled ground squirrel, Citellus lateralis, suslik, souslik, Citellus citellus, flickertail, Richardson ground squirrel, Citellus richardsoni, rock squirrel, Citellus variegatus, Arctic ground squirrel, parka squirrel, Citellus parryi

4

noun

Meaning 4

small striped semiterrestrial eastern American squirrel with cheek pouches

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: eastern chipmunk, hackee, striped squirrel, Tamias striatus

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: squirrel

History

Etymology

No etymology was provided for this word.

Across languages

Translations

10 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Bulgarian: суек (suek) — Spermophilus
  • Bulgarian: лалугер (laluger) — Spermophilus
  • Hungarian: ürge — Spermophilus
  • Ingrian: suslikka — Spermophilus
  • Macedonian: сто́болки (stóbolki) — Spermophilus
  • Nanticoke: muck-quissah — Spermophilus
  • Persian: کلاوو (kalâvu) — Spermophilus
  • Polish: suseł — Spermophilus
  • Russian: су́слики (súsliki) — Spermophilus
  • Turkish: yer sincabı — Spermophilus