When you hear “squirrel,” you probably imagine a small, bushy-tailed creature darting up a tree or digging up a hidden nut. A squirrel is a small or medium-sized rodent, usually with a long, furry tail, best known for climbing and storing food for later.
The word “squirrel” pops up in all sorts of places—old dictionaries, word origins, and even in phrases people toss around every day. This post gets into the exact dictionary meaning, a bit of history, and some of the other ways folks use the word, so you get the animal and the language.
Dictionary Definition of Squirrel
Here’s what you’ll find in most dictionaries: the main meaning, a peek at grammar, and a few simple sentences to show how people use “squirrel.” The focus stays on physical traits, word forms, and how the word actually shows up in life.
Primary Meaning and Usage
A squirrel belongs to the rodent family Sciuridae. Most definitions mention the bushy tail, strong front teeth, and habits like tree climbing or ground living.
People usually think of tree squirrels with their fluffy tails, but the family includes ground squirrels, chipmunks, marmots, and flying squirrels too.
You’ll spot “squirrel” describing both the animal and, in a figurative way, the act of hiding or storing something (like to squirrel away money). Scientists use names like Sciurus for tree squirrels such as the red or grey squirrel.
Common traits? They climb or burrow, gnaw with sharp teeth, and often stash food.
Plural Forms and Word Classes
The plural is squirrels. You might see “squirrel” used before another noun, like in “squirrel nest,” or in compounds—think “squirrel-proof” or “squirrel-cage.” It’s a countable noun: one squirrel, two squirrels.
Sometimes, people use “squirrel” as a verb in casual conversation. When you say someone “squirreled away money,” you use the verb form to mean hiding or saving something.
Dictionaries usually list related forms: squirrel (noun), squirrels (plural), squirreled/squirrelled (past), squirreling/squirrelling (present participle).
Examples of Squirrel in a Sentence
- The grey squirrel climbed the oak tree and chattered loudly.
- You might see ground squirrels and chipmunks sunning on rocks near trails.
- She squirreled away seeds in the backyard for winter.
You can find short variations, too: The flying squirrel glided between branches. He squirreled the spare change into a jar. A colony of marmots and ground squirrels lived on the hillside.
These patterns help you spot the word in nature writing, pet guides, or everyday talk.
If you want a clear definition, check out a standard entry for squirrel at Merriam-Webster.
Other Usages and Etymology
Let’s look at how “squirrel” works as a verb, where it comes from, and a few related words you might bump into in books or conversation.
Verb Forms and Idiomatic Expressions
People use “squirrel” as a verb to mean hiding or saving things, often quietly or secretly. The common verb forms are squirreled (US past), squirrelled (British), and squirreling or squirrelling (present participle).
You’ll hear “squirrel away” for stashing something, like “She squirreled away cash for repairs.”
Phrases like “don’t squirrel it away” or “squirreling around” pop up, usually hinting at hoarding or restless searching. In legal talk, the verb can mean hiding assets. Sometimes people use “to squirrel” just to mean collecting small things, without any negative vibe.
Word Origin and Etymology
The English word comes from Middle English squirrell and Old French esquirel. Those came from Greek skiouros, which roughly means “shadow-tail”—probably because the tail shades the animal’s back.
Linguists have spotted similar words across European languages, all tied to that fluffy tail and the animal’s nimble, tree-loving ways.
Some language experts even connect the root to older Indo-European animal names. If you want more on the history, check out the etymology entry on Etymonline.
Adjectives and Related Terms
You’ll run into adjectives and nouns that people use with squirrels. Folks often say squirrel-like or squirrellike when they’re talking about a bushy tail or quick, nimble moves.
Scientists and formal writers prefer sciurine—that one’s all about the squirrel family (Sciuridae).
Writers sometimes get creative. Words like squirrelish pop up, hinting at squirrel-like behavior, and you’ll spot different spellings, too, like squirrellish.
People also use verb forms that tie back to how squirrels act. If someone has squirreled something, they’ve stashed it away. Squirreling means they’re still in the process of hiding or collecting things.
You’ll even hear folks say, “squirrel away,” as a phrasal verb. It works in casual chats or more formal writing—kind of handy, honestly.
