chipmunk









chipmunk


noun

  1. any of several small, striped, terrestrial squirrels of the genera Tamias, of North America, and Eutamia, of Asia and North America, especially T. striatus, of eastern North America.

noun

  1. any burrowing sciurine rodent of the genera Tamias of E North America and Eutamias of W North America and Asia, typically having black-striped yellowish fur and cheek pouches for storing food
n.

1829 (also chitmunk, 1832), from Algonquian, probably Ojibwa ajidamoo (in the Ottawa dialect ajidamoonh) “red squirrel,” literally “head first,” or “one who descends trees headlong” (containing ajid- “upside down”), probably influenced by English chip and mink. Other early names for it included ground squirrel and striped squirrel.

49 queries 0.566