marmot

[ mahr-muh t ]
/ ˈmɑr mət /

noun

any bushy-tailed, stocky rodent of the genus Marmota, as the woodchuck.
any of certain related animals, as the prairie dogs.

Origin of marmot

1600–10; < French marmotte, Old French, apparently noun derivative of marmotter to mutter, murmur (referring to the whistling noises made by such animals), equivalent to marm- imitative base denoting a variety of indistinct, continuous sounds (cf. murmur) + -ot(t)er suffix of expressive verbs (though v. is attested only in modern F)

Example sentences from the Web for marmot

British Dictionary definitions for marmot

marmot
/ (ˈmɑːmət) /

noun

any burrowing sciurine rodent of the genus Marmota, of Europe, Asia, and North America. They are heavily built, having short legs, a short furry tail, and coarse fur
prairie marmot another name for prairie dog

Word Origin for marmot

C17: from French marmotte, perhaps ultimately from Latin mūr- (stem of mūs) mouse + montis of the mountain