prairie dog

American  

noun

1. any of several burrowing rodents of the genus Cynomys, of North American prairies, having a barklike cry: some are endangered.

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prairie dog British  

noun

1. Also called: prairie marmot.  any of several gregarious sciurine rodents of the genus Cynomys, such as C. ludovicianus, that live in large complex burrows in the prairies of North America

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Etymology

Origin of prairie dog

An Americanism dating back to 1765–75

Compare meaning

How does prairie-dog compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• marmot vs. prairie dog

Example Sentences

The dusty grass verges surrounding the prison are teeming with noisy prairie dogs scurrying into their burrows whenever disturbed by prison vehicles coming and going.

From BBC

In another, the blackened bricks of the fireplace poked up from the debris like prairie dogs.

From Los Angeles Times

The ferrets live mainly off of the prairie dogs they catch.

From NewsForKids.net

My favorite: a young bear engaged in a whack-a-mole-like game with a flock of prairie dogs.

From Los Angeles Times

Their prey is prairie dogs, and the ferrets hunt the rodents in often vast burrow colonies on the plains.

From Seattle Times