prairie dog
Definition
Noun 1. A burrowing rodent of North American grasslands: A prairie dog is a type of ground squirrel native to the grasslands (prairies) of North America. It is known for living in large, social colonies within extensive underground burrow systems and for making a distinctive call that sounds like a bark.
Examples
- The prairie dog stood on its hind legs to watch for predators.
- We saw a large colony of prairie dogs near the visitor center.
- The characteristic bark of the prairie dog is a warning signal to others in the colony.
Advanced Usage
- "Prairie dog town": This term is often used to describe a large, concentrated network of prairie dog burrows, emphasizing the complex, community-like structure of their habitat.
- The researchers mapped the entire prairie dog town, which covered several acres.
Variants and Related Words
- Cynomys: This is the scientific genus name for prairie dogs.
- Ground squirrel: Prairie dogs are a type of ground squirrel. This is a broader category of rodents to which they belong.
- Rodent: This is the broader biological order (Rodentia) that includes prairie dogs, mice, rats, beavers, and squirrels.
Synonyms
- Burrowing rodent: A descriptive synonym highlighting its key behavior and classification.
- (Regional/Historical) Prairie marmot: An older or less common name.
Related Phrases & Idioms
- To prairie-dog (informal, verb): This is a modern, informal slang term meaning to pop one's head up above the partitions in a cubicle office to look around, mimicking the behavior of the animal.
- I prairie-dogged to see who was talking in the next aisle.
Noun
-
any of several rodents of North American prairies living in large complex burrows having a barking cry
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