Meaning & use
squirrel
Last updated
Meanings
nouncountable
A small rodent with a long bushy tail that lives in trees and eats nuts and seeds.
Grammar: Countable: a squirrel, two squirrels.
Patterns
- a gray squirrel
- squirrels gather nuts
A squirrel ran up the tree with an acorn in its mouth.
We watched squirrels burying nuts in the garden.
The red squirrel is now rare in many parts of Britain.
verbtransitive
To hide or store something away, especially money or food, for future use.
Grammar: Usually used with 'away': squirrel something away.
Patterns
- squirrel something away
- squirrel away money
She squirreled away a little money each month for emergencies.
The children squirreled away sweets in their pockets.
Word forms
| plural | squirrels |
|---|---|
| third person singular | squirrels |
| past tense | squirreled |
| past participle | squirreled |
| -ing form | squirreling |
Common combinations
- gray squirrel
- A gray squirrel darted across the path.
- red squirrel
- Red squirrels are protected in this forest.
- squirrel away
- He squirreled away his savings in a secret account.
- squirrel something in
- She squirreled the letters in a drawer.
Synonyms and how they differ
- rodent
- A general word for the group that includes squirrels, rats, and mice.
Word family
- squirrelly adjective
- Informal: behaving in a slightly strange or unpredictable way.
Practice
Complete the sentence: She managed to ______ away enough money for a holiday.
Choose one answer.
'Squirrel away' means to save or store something. 'Squander' means to waste, 'squirm' means to wriggle, and 'squash' means to crush.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “squirrel”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.