squirrel

1 of 2

noun

squir·​rel ˈskwər(-ə)l How to pronounce squirrel (audio)
ˈskwə-rəl,
 chiefly British  ˈskwir-əl
plural squirrels also squirrel
1
: any of various small or medium-sized rodents (family Sciuridae, the squirrel family): such as
a
: any of numerous New or Old World arboreal forms having a long bushy tail and strong hind legs
2
: the fur of a squirrel

squirrel

2 of 2

verb

squirreled or squirrelled; squirreling or squirrelling

transitive verb

: to store up for future use
often used with away
squirrel away some money

Examples of squirrel in a Sentence

Verb squirreled the information away for future reference
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
Don't Paint or Bleach Outdoor Pumpkins Pumpkins are a fall decor staple that wildlife like squirrels, raccoons, and deer love to munch on. Anne Readel, Better Homes & Gardens, 9 Oct. 2024 The finalists for the annual Nikon Comedy Wildlife Awards have been announced and include a cheetah playing hide and seek, bears hugging, a fish chasing an eagle across the sky and a tiny flying squirrel. Joanne Shurvell, Forbes, 25 Sep. 2024
Verb
Every squirrel has a science story to tell, but, sadly, squirrels vastly outnumber squirrel scientists. Scistarter Team, Discover Magazine, 21 Jan. 2024 Freelancers, aware of this, try to squirrel some of their fees away throughout the year to see them through to March, when productions start crewing up again. K.j. Yossman, Variety, 25 May 2023 See all Example Sentences for squirrel 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'squirrel.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English squirel, from Anglo-French escurel, esquirel, from Vulgar Latin *scuriolus, diminutive of scurius, alteration of Latin *sciurus, from Greek skiouros, probably from skia shadow + oura tail — more at shine, ass

Verb

from the squirrel's habit of storing up gathered nuts and seeds for winter use

First Known Use

Noun

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

1925, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of squirrel was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near squirrel

Cite this Entry

“Squirrel.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/squirrel. Accessed 5 Nov. 2024.

Kids Definition

squirrel

1 of 2 noun
squir·​rel ˈskwər(-ə)l How to pronounce squirrel (audio)
ˈskwə-rəl
plural squirrels also squirrel
1
: any of various small or medium-sized rodents
especially : one with a long bushy tail and strong hind legs used especially for leaping from tree branch to tree branch
2
: the fur of a squirrel

squirrel

2 of 2 verb
squirreled or squirrelled; squirreling or squirrelling
: to store up for future use
often used with away
squirreled away all his spare change
Etymology

Noun

Middle English squirel "squirrel," from early French esquirel (same meaning), derived from Latin sciurus (same meaning), from Greek skiouros "squirrel," from skia "shadow" and oura "tail"

Word Origin
When a squirrel sits up to eat or to look around, it often raises its bushy tail up against its back and over its head as if to shade itself. The ancient Greeks noticed this habit, and they called the animal skiouros. This word was made up of skia, meaning "shadow," and oura, "tail." The Romans turned this into the Latin word sciurus, which made its way into early French as esquirel. English squirrel was borrowed from the French.

More from Merriam-Webster on squirrel

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