chipmunk

IPA/ˈtʃɪpmʌŋk/
KK[tʃˈɪpməŋk]IPA/ˈtʃɪpmʌŋk/

chipmunk — noun

  • chipmunksingular
  • chipmunksplural

1. a small squirrel-like animal from North America that has dark stripes down its b

1.nounB2
Definition

a small squirrel-like animal from North America that has dark stripes down its back, carries food in cheek pouches, and usually lives in a burrow on the ground

Example

Jisoo pointed at a chipmunk stuffing seeds into its cheeks by the trail.

chipmunk + stuff seeds into cheeks

A chipmunk darted across Gabriel's picnic blanket and grabbed a peanut.

chipmunk + dart across + object

Common collocations
  • striped chipmunk
  • cheek pouches
  • gather seeds
  • stuff food into its cheeks
  • dart across the path
  • run into a burrow
Synonyms
  • ground squirrel

    a broader animal group; a chipmunk is one small striped type within it

  • squirrel

    a close relative, but squirrels are usually larger and more strongly associated with trees

  • hamster

    another small rodent with cheek pouches, usually kept as a pet and without back stripes

Grammar Patterns

a chipmunk

chipmunk + verb

see/watch a chipmunk

Usage Note

Usually refers to the small striped ground animal found in North America. Unlike a squirrel, a chipmunk spends more time on the ground and often stores food in underground burrows.

Common Mistakes

A striped squirrel ran under the picnic table.
A chipmunk ran under the picnic table.
a chipmunk is the smaller striped ground animal; a squirrel is the more general tree-dwelling relative.

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

A chipmunk is a small striped relative of the squirrel that usually lives on the ground and stores food in its cheek pouches. A squirrel is usually larger, has no back stripes, and is more often seen in trees. A hamster is another small rodent with cheek pouches, but it is usually a pet and does not have the same wild striped look.

chipmunk ↗squirrel ↗hamster ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

Phrases

  • stuff food into its cheeks
  • dart across the trail
  • carry acorns back to a burrow