| marmot | n. [ It. marmotta, marmotto, prob. fr. L. mus montanus, or mus montis, lit., mountain mouse or rat. See Mountain, and Mouse. ] 1. (Zool.) Any rodent of the genus Marmota (formerly Arctomys) of the subfamily Sciurinae. The common European marmot (Marmota marmotta) is about the size of a rabbit, and inhabits the higher regions of the Alps and Pyrenees. The bobac is another European species. The common American species (Marmota monax) is the woodchuck (also called groundhog), but the name marmot is usually used only for the western variety. [ 1913 Webster +PJC ] 2. Any one of several species of ground squirrels or gophers of the genus Spermophilus; also, the prairie dog. [ 1913 Webster ]
Marmot squirrel (Zool.), a ground squirrel or spermophile. --
Prairie marmot. See Prairie dog. [ 1913 Webster ]
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