squirrel
squirrel Lexical Profile
squirrel Game Scores & Validity
• noun
An agile, predominantly tree-dwelling rodent of the family Sciuridae, typically characterized by a slender body, large eyes, and a long bushy tail.
"The gray squirrel scurried up the trunk of the oak tree to bury an acorn before winter."
The fur or pelt of a squirrel, historically used in making or trimming clothing.
"The wealthy merchant wore a heavy winter cloak lined with soft gray squirrel."
• verb
To hide, hoard, or store something of value in a safe place for future use (usually followed by 'away').
"Over the years, she squirreled away a substantial portion of her salary into a secret savings account."
Word Nuance & Usage
As a verb, it is almost exclusively used in the phrasal verb construction 'squirrel away', which dictates an obligatory preposition to mean hiding or hoarding something.
• Rhymes for squirrel
• Nearby Words
Word Origin & Etymology
From Anglo-Norman 'esquirel', via Vulgar Latin 'scuriolus', a diminutive of Latin 'sciurus'. Ultimately from Ancient Greek 'skiouros', composed of 'skia' (shadow) and 'oura' (tail).
Usage Trend
Historical frequency of usage in published text.