groundhog

American

[ground-hog, -hawg] / ˈgraʊndˌhɒg, -hɔg /

Or ground hog

noun

woodchuck.

groundhog British

/ ˈɡraʊndˌhɒɡ /

noun

another name for woodchuck

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of groundhog

An Americanism dating back to 1650–60; ground ¹ + hog

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

A 3D groundhog could replace a weary Punxsutawney Phil.

From MarketWatch • Jan. 22, 2026

The Pennsylvania Game Commission says the potential lifespan of a groundhog is estimated at eight or nine years.

From BBC • Feb. 2, 2025

The groundhog family lives in a climate-controlled burrow at the local library.

From Seattle Times • May 13, 2024

February is well upon us, and it wouldn’t take a groundhog sighting on Hollywood Boulevard to know that the interminable rituals of Academy Awards season will grind on for another several weeks.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 7, 2024

“What was it saying?” said Digdown the groundhog.

From "The Wild Robot" by Peter Brown

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023