pika

[ pahy-kuh ]

noun

1. any of several small, brown to gray tailless mammals of the genus Ochotona, resembling rabbits with short ears and legs and inhabiting western mountains of North America and parts of eastern Europe and Asia.

pika

/ ˈpaɪkə /

noun

1. any burrowing lagomorph mammal of the family Ochotonidae of mountainous regions of North America and Asia, having short rounded ears, a rounded body, and rudimentary tail Also calledcony

Word History and Origins

Origin of pika¹

1820–30; recorded by the German naturalist P.S. Pallas (1741–1811) as the name for the animal in Evenki; compare Evenki (N Baikal dial.) pikačān a name for the tree creeper ( Certhia familiaris ), apparently based on Russian píkatʾ to squeak, peep (compare Russian pishchúkha a name for both the tree creeper and the pika, which emits a shrill sound)

Word History and Origins

Origin of pika¹

C19: from Tungusic piika

Example Sentences

According to a paper published in the journal Royal Society Open Science this month, lions, polar bears, scaly-tailed possums and American pikas also fluoresce.

From New York Times

But what happens when temperatures at the top become too warm for the pika?

From National Geographic Kids

Some of the same genes have also changed in yaks, pikas, ground tits, and other species that live at high elevations, albeit in different ways, he and his colleagues reported later.

From Science Magazine

At the time, Washington had a few native lagomorphs — pikas in the mountains, pygmy rabbits in the sagebrush — but no S. floridanus.

From Seattle Times

Along the way, look out for resident wildlife like pikas and marmots.

From Seattle Times