prairie dogn.
/ˈprɛːrɪ dɒɡ/, U.S. /ˈprɛri ˌdɔɡ/, /ˈprɛri ˌdɑɡ/ 1. Any of several North American rodents constituting the genus Cynomys (family Sciuridae), which resemble marmots, live gregariously in extensive burrow systems in grassland (known as ‘towns’), and have a call resembling a dog's bark; esp. (more fully black-tailed prairie dog) the widespread C. ludovicianus.
ΘΚΠ
the world > animals > mammals > group Unguiculata or clawed mammal > order Rodentia or rodent > [noun] > family Sciuridae (squirrel) > genus Cynomys (prairie-dog)
prairie dog1804
wishtonwish1806
prairie squirrel1808
squirrel1808
prairie marmot1826
1804 W. Clark in Jrnls. Lewis & Clark Exped. (1904) I. 143 I walked on Shore all this evening with a view to Kill a goat or Some Prarie Dogs.
1835 W. Irving Tour on Prairies xxxii, in Crayon Misc. I. 241 The prairie dog is an animal of the coney kind, and about the size of a rabbit. He is of a sprightly mercurial nature; quick, sensitive, and somewhat petulant.
1870 De B. R. Keim Sheridan's Troopers 301 Early in the afternoon we entered a prairie-dog town.
1902 O. Wister Virginian xvi. 176 There is a brown skunk down in Arkansaw. Kind of prairie-dog brown.
1932 S. Zuckerman Social Life Monkeys & Apes ii. 23 Most writers describe the prairie dog of North America as an animal that lives in vast colonies.
1963 Amer. Midland Naturalist 70 235 These include such species as the black-tailed prairie dog (Cynomys ludovicianus).
1992 Buzzworm Nov. 13/1 The Denver archdiocese plans to hire a Colorado company to mechanically suck prairie dogs out of the ground.
2. North American colloquial. In extended use: a person, a fellow.
ΘΚΠ
the world > people > person > man > [noun]
churla800
werec900
rinkeOE
wapmanc950
heOE
wyeOE
gomeOE
ledeOE
seggeOE
shalkOE
manOE
carmanlOE
mother bairnc1225
hemea1250
mother sona1250
hind1297
buck1303
mister mana1325
piecec1325
groomc1330
man of mouldc1330
hathela1350
sire1362
malea1382
fellowa1393
guestc1394
sergeant?a1400
tailarda1400
tulka1400
harlotc1405
mother's sona1470
frekea1475
her1488
masculinea1500
gentlemana1513
horse?a1513
mutton?a1513
merchant1549
child1551
dick1553
sorrya1555
knavea1556
dandiprat1556
cove1567
rat1571
manling1573
bird1575
stone-horse1580
loona1586
shaver1592
slave1592
copemate1593
tit1594
dog1597
hima1599
prick1598
dingle-dangle1605
jade1608
dildoa1616
Roger1631
Johnny1648
boy1651
cod1653
cully1676
son of a bitch1697
cull1698
feller1699
chap1704
buff1708
son of a gun1708
buffer1749
codger1750
Mr1753
he-man1758
fella1778
gilla1790
gloak1795
joker1811
gory1819
covey1821
chappie1822
Charley1825
hombre1832
brother-man1839
rooster1840
blokie1841
hoss1843
Joe1846
guy1847
plug1848
chal1851
rye1851
omee1859
bloke1861
guffin1862
gadgie1865
mug1865
kerel1873
stiff1882
snoozer1884
geezer1885
josser1886
dude1895
gazabo1896
jasper1896
prairie dog1897
sport1897
crow-eater1899
papa1903
gink1906
stud1909
scout1912
head1913
beezer1914
jeff1917
pisser1918
bimbo1919
bozo1920
gee1921
mush1936
rye mush1936
basher1942
okie1943
mugger1945
cat1946
ou1949
tess1952
oke1970
bra1974
muzhik1993
1897 Atlantic Monthly Sept. 393/1 ‘Poor old prairie dog,’ said Fitzgerald.., ‘she's clean petered out!’
1918 Fort Wayne (Indiana) News & Sentinel 23 Jan. 20/1 Still there are thousands of people..who actually pin their faith to the pneumatic prognostications of this pious old prairie-dog.
1931 W. Rogers in Autobiogr. (1949) xvi. 256 I am going to try and..see an old prairie dog, Jack Garner, that is going to be the next Speaker of the House.
1998 Calgary (Alberta) Sun (Nexis) 22 Oct. 47 I figured out the knife and fork, now kin you teach an ol' prairie dog like me how to eat seafood?
This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, December 2006; most recently modified version published online June 2022).
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n.1804