Illustration of marmot
: 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
Examples of marmot in a Sentence
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Luckily, Indiana's own weather-predicting marmot, aptly named Hope, knows what the people want and saved the day with a dueling forecast of an early spring.
—
Joe Mutascio, IndyStar, 3 Feb. 2026
Northern California is also home to another groundhog relative, the yellow-bellied marmot, also known as a rock chuck.
—Joan Morris, Mercury News, 2 Feb. 2026
In total, there are 15 species in the genus Marmota, found around the world from as far south as the Jemez Mountains of New Mexico and the Pyrenees Mountains of Spain, north to regions of Siberia and Alaska so dark and cold that the marmots must hibernate for up to nine months of the year.
—Steven Sullivan, The Conversation, 26 Jan. 2026
Hours later, after dodging cow patties the size of dinner plates and gaping holes leading to marmot burrows, the locations are chosen and the traps are set.
—Glenn Zorpette, IEEE Spectrum, 4 Nov. 2025
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Joe Mutascio, IndyStar, 3 Feb. 2026
Northern California is also home to another groundhog relative, the yellow-bellied marmot, also known as a rock chuck.
—Joan Morris, Mercury News, 2 Feb. 2026
In total, there are 15 species in the genus Marmota, found around the world from as far south as the Jemez Mountains of New Mexico and the Pyrenees Mountains of Spain, north to regions of Siberia and Alaska so dark and cold that the marmots must hibernate for up to nine months of the year.
—Steven Sullivan, The Conversation, 26 Jan. 2026
Hours later, after dodging cow patties the size of dinner plates and gaping holes leading to marmot burrows, the locations are chosen and the traps are set.
—Glenn Zorpette, IEEE Spectrum, 4 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for marmot
Cite this Entry
“Marmot.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/marmot. Accessed 15 Feb. 2026.
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Medical Definition
marmot
noun
mar·mot
ˈmär-mət 
: 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
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