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
Its vast prairies, badlands, and river valleys are home to bison, wild horses, and prairie dogs.
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Judy Koutsky, Forbes, 26 Sep. 2024
Many types of animals can be affected by plague, including rock squirrels, wood rats, ground squirrels, prairie dogs, chipmunks, mice, voles and rabbits.
—Adela Suliman, Washington Post, 9 July 2024
One of the United States’ four prairie dog species, the Utah prairie dog, is listed as threatened.
—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
See all Example Sentences for prairie dog 
Judy Koutsky, Forbes, 26 Sep. 2024
Many types of animals can be affected by plague, including rock squirrels, wood rats, ground squirrels, prairie dogs, chipmunks, mice, voles and rabbits.
—Adela Suliman, Washington Post, 9 July 2024
One of the United States’ four prairie dog species, the Utah prairie dog, is listed as threatened.
—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
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 5 Nov. 2024.
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