squirrel

Meanings

1. 1
   noun

   Any of the rodents of the family Sciuridae.

   Tree squirrels.

2. 2
   noun

   a kind of arboreal rodent having a long bushy tail

3. 3
   noun

   the fur of a squirrel

4. 4
   noun

   Someone who displays squirrel-like qualities such as stealing or hoarding objects.

Appears in

Simplified etymology

Squirrel comes ultimately from Greek skiouros, formed from skia, “shadow,” and oura, “tail.” The name therefore means “shadow-tail,” probably referring to the animal’s bushy tail arching over its back like a sunshade.

From Middle English squirel, squyrelle, from Anglo-Norman esquirel and Old French escurel (whence French écureuil), from Vulgar Latin *scūriolus, diminutive of *scūrius, variant of Latin sciūrus, from Ancient Greek σκίουρος (skíouros, “shadow-tail”, from σκιά (skiá, “shadow”) + οὐρά (ourá, “tail”)). Displaced native Middle English acquerne, aquerne, from Old English ācweorna.

Topics

External links

• Google Images
• Cambridge Dictionary
• Wiktionary