squirrel

IPA/ˈskwɪrəl/
KK[skwˈɚəl]IPA/ˈskwɜːrəl/

squirrel — noun

  • squirrelsingular
  • squirrelsplural

1. a small wild creature with soft fur and a bushy tail that lives in trees and gat

1.nounA1
Definition

a small wild creature with soft fur and a bushy tail that lives in trees and gathers nuts and seeds to eat

Example

A red squirrel buried a nut in the garden while the children watched.

collocation: bury + nut / acorn

Every morning, Sumin leaves peanuts on the balcony for the squirrels.

leave + food for squirrels

Common collocations
  • grey squirrel
  • red squirrel
  • bury nuts
  • hide food
  • climb trees
  • collect acorns
Synonyms
  • chipmunk

    a smaller animal with stripes on its back, found mainly on the ground rather than in trees

  • flying squirrel

    a type of squirrel with skin flaps that allow it to glide between trees

Usage Note

This sense is the everyday meaning. In Taiwan, both red squirrels and flying squirrels can be seen in mountain areas.

Common Mistakes

I saw a squirel in the park.
I saw a squirrel in the park.
'squirrel' has a double 'r' and ends with '-el', not '-le'.

2. the soft hair or pelt taken from a squirrel, used for making coats, hats, or art

2.nounC1
Definition

the soft hair or pelt taken from a squirrel, used for making coats, hats, or artists' brushes

Example

The antique shop sold a small brush made from squirrel hair.

squirrel hair + brush making

Manuela discovered that the old coat in her grandmother's closet was lined with squirrel fur.

Common collocations
  • squirrel hair brush
  • squirrel fur coat

Usage Note

This sense is now uncommon. Most modern coats use synthetic materials or fur from farmed animals.

squirrel — verb

Word family

  • squirrely
    adjectiveC2

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

Squirrel, chipmunk, hamster, and mouse are all small rodents, but they look and behave differently. A squirrel has a long, bushy tail and lives mostly in trees; it stores nuts and acorns in scattered hiding places. A chipmunk is smaller with stripes on its back and lives in burrows rather than trees. A hamster is a popular pet with a short tail and large cheek pouches for carrying food; it stores food in one place inside its cage. A mouse has a long, thin tail and a pointed nose; it is much smaller than a squirrel and lives indoors or in fields. For example: 'A squirrel ran up the oak tree with an acorn,' but 'A mouse crept under the kitchen door.'

chipmunk ↗hamster ↗mouse ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

Phrases

Prepositions

Etymology

GreekLatinOld FrenchEnglish

The word 'squirrel' came into English through Old French 'esquirel', which came from Latin 'sciurus'. The Latin word came from Greek 'skiouros', which combines 'skia' (shadow) and 'oura' (tail) — literally 'shadow-tail', because a squirrel holds its bushy tail over its back like a shadow.