squirrel definition | Dictionary.com

squir⋅rel

[skwur-uh

l, skwuhr- or, especially Brit., skwir-uh

noun, plural -rels, (especially collectively

) -rel, verb, -reled, -rel⋅ing or (especially British

) -relled, -rel⋅ling.

Use squirrel in a Sentence

–noun

1.	any of numerous arboreal, bushy-tailed rodents of the genus Sciurus, of the family Sciuridae.

2.	any of various other members of the family Sciuridae, as the chipmunks, flying squirrels, and woodchucks.

3.	the meat of such an animal.

4.	the pelt or fur of such an animal: a coat trimmed with squirrel.

–verb (used with object)

5.	to store or hide (money, valuables, etc.), usually for the future (often fol. by away): I've squirreled away a few dollars for an emergency.

Origin:
1325–75; ME squirel < AF escuirel (OF escuireul) ≪ VL *scūrellus, *scūriolus, repr. L sciurus (< Gk skíouros lit., shadow-tailed (ski(á) shadow + -ouros, adj. deriv. of ourá tail); appar. so called because the tail was large enough to provide shade for the rest of the animal) with dim. suffixes -ellus, -olus

Related forms:

squir⋅rel⋅ish, squir⋅rel⋅like, adjective

Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
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squir·rel (skwûr'əl, skwŭr'-)

Any of various arboreal rodents of the genus Sciurus and related genera of the family Sciuridae, having a long flexible bushy tail and including the fox squirrel, gray squirrel, and red squirrel. Also called tree squirrel.
Any of various other rodents of the family Sciuridae, as the ground squirrel or the flying squirrel.
The fur of one of these rodents.

tr.v. squir·reled or squir·relled, squir·rel·ing or squir·rel·ling, squir·rels
To hide or store: squirreled away her money.

[Middle English squirel, from Anglo-Norman esquirel, from Vulgar Latin *scūriolus, diminutive of *scūrius, alteration of Latin sciūrus, from Greek skiouros : skiā, shadow + ourā, tail; see ors- in Indo-European roots.]

The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Squirrel

Squir"rel\ (skw[~e]r"r[~e]l or skw[i^]r"-; 277), n. [OE. squirel, OF. esquirel, escurel, F. ['e]cureuil, LL. squirelus, squirolus, scuriolus, dim. of L. sciurus, Gr. si`oyros; skia` shade + o'yra` tail. Cf. Shine, v. i.]

1. (Zo["o]l.) Any one of numerous species of small rodents belonging to the genus Sciurus and several allied genera of the family Sciurid[ae]. Squirrels generally have a bushy tail, large erect ears, and strong hind legs. They are commonly arboreal in their habits, but many species live in burrows.

Note: Among the common North American squirrels are the gray squirrel (Scirius Carolinensis) and its black variety; the fox, or cat, sqirrel (S. cinereus, or S. niger) which is a large species, and variable in color, the southern variety being frequently black, while the northern and western varieties are usually gray or rusty brown; the red squirrel (see Chickaree); the striped, or chipping, squirrel (see Chipmunk); and the California gray squirrel (S. fossor). Several other species inhabit Mexico and Central America. The common European species (Sciurus vulgaris) has a long tuft of hair on each ear. the so-called Australian squirrels are marsupials. See Petaurist, and Phalanger.

2. One of the small rollers of a carding machine which work with the large cylinder.

Barking squirrel (Zo["o]l.), the prairie dog.

Federation squirrel (Zo["o]l.), the striped gopher. See Gopher, 2.

Flying squirrel (Zo["o]l.). See Flying squirrel, in the Vocabulary.

Java squirrel (Zo["o]l.). See Jelerang.

Squirrel corn (Bot.), a North American herb (Dicantra Canadensis) bearing little yellow tubers.

Squirrel cup (Bot.), the blossom of the Hepatica triloba, a low perennial herb with cup-shaped flowers varying from purplish blue to pink or even white. It is one of the earliest flowers of spring.

Squirrel fish (Zo["o]l.) (a) A sea bass (Serranus fascicularis) of the Southern United States. (b) The sailor's choice (Diplodus rhomboides). (c) The redmouth, or grunt. (d) A market fish of Bermuda (Holocentrum Ascensione).

Squirrel grass (Bot.), a pestiferous grass (Hordeum murinum) related to barley. In California the stiffly awned spiklets work into the wool of sheep, and into the throat, flesh, and eyes of animals, sometimes even producing death.

Squirrel hake (Zo["o]l.), a common American hake (Phycis tenuis); -- called also white hake.

Squirrel hawk (Zo["o]l.), any rough-legged hawk; especially, the California species Archibuteo ferrugineus.

Squirrel monkey. (Zo["o]l.) (a) Any one of several species of small, soft-haired South American monkeys of the genus Calithrix. They are noted for their graceful form and agility. See Teetee. (b) A marmoset.

Squirrel petaurus (Zo["o]l.), a flying phalanger of Australia. See Phalanger, Petaurist, and Flying phalanger under Flying.

Squirrel shrew (Zo["o]l.), any one of several species of East Indian and Asiatic insectivores of the genus Tupaia. They are allied to the shrews, but have a bushy tail, like that of a squirrel.

Squirrel-tail grass (Bot.), a grass (Hordeum jubatum) found in salt marshes and along the Great Lakes, having a dense spike beset with long awns.

Language Translation for : squirrel

Italian: scoiattolo,

German: das Eichhörnchen,

Japanese: りす

More Translations »

squirrel

1327, from Anglo-Fr. esquirel, O.Fr. escurel (Fr. écureuil), from V.L. *scuriolus, dim. of *scurius "squirrel," variant of L. sciurus, from Gk. skiouros "a squirrel," lit. "shadow-tailed," from skia "shadow" + oura "tail." Perhaps the original notion is "that which makes a shade with its tail." The verb meaning "to hoard up, store away" (as a aquirrel does nuts) is first recorded 1939; squirrely is from 1925. The O.E. word was acweorna, which survived into M.E. as aquerne.

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