marmot

noun

mar·​mot ˈmär-mət How to pronounce marmot (audio)
: any of a genus (Marmota) of stout-bodied short-legged chiefly herbivorous burrowing rodents of the squirrel family that have coarse fur, a short bushy tail, and very small ears and that hibernate during the winter compare woodchuck

Illustration of marmot

Illustration of marmot

Examples of marmot in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
For a lab like Blumstein’s, that means fewer graduate students to oversee long-term marmot studies that can extend for years and generate important data. — Samantha Masunaga, Los Angeles Times, 3 Aug. 2026 The Kremlin pivots to a story that blames the fatalities on marmots, which can carry the plague. — Gideon Lewis-Kraus, New Yorker, 25 July 2026 The theory is that individuals became infected by a strain that was particularly lethal to the young through close contact with marmots (rodents that are known reservoirs of the plague), perhaps while butchering them. — The Week Uk, TheWeek, 6 July 2026 In the forests and on the beaches, keep your eyes peeled for native wildlife like Roosevelt elk, marmots, orcas, gray whales, humpbacks, dolphins, sea lions, and bald eagles. — Zoe Baillargeon, Travel + Leisure, 5 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for marmot

Word History

Etymology

French marmotte

First Known Use

1607, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of marmot was in 1607

Browse Nearby Words

marmoset
marmot
Marmota
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Marmot.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/marmot. Accessed 10 Aug. 2026.

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Kids Definition

marmot

noun
mar·​mot ˈmär-mət How to pronounce marmot (audio)
: any of a genus of burrowing rodents with a stout body, short legs, coarse fur, a short bushy tail, and very small ears compare woodchuck

Medical Definition

marmot

noun
mar·​mot ˈmär-mət How to pronounce marmot (audio)
: any of various stout-bodied short-legged burrowing rodents (genus Marmota) with coarse fur, a short bushy tail, and very small ears that are important reservoirs of sylvatic plague

More from Merriam-Webster on marmot

Nglish: Translation of marmot for Spanish Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about marmot

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