squirreling

squir·rel

S s

Transcription

- US Pronunciation
- US IPA
- [skwur-uh l, skwuhr- or, esp. British, skwir-uh l]
- /ˈskwɜr əl, ˈskwʌr- or, esp. British, ˈskwɪr əl/

- US Pronunciation
- US IPA
- [skwur-uh l, skwuhr- or, esp. British, skwir-uh l]
- /ˈskwɜr əl, ˈskwʌr- or, esp. British, ˈskwɪr əl/

Definitions of squirreling word

noun plural squirreling any of numerous arboreal, bushy-tailed rodents of the genus Sciurus, of the family Sciuridae. 1
noun plural squirreling any of various other members of the family Sciuridae, as the chipmunks, flying squirrels, and woodchucks. 1
noun plural squirreling the meat of such an animal. 1
noun plural squirreling the pelt or fur of such an animal: a coat trimmed with squirrel. 1
verb with object squirreling to store or hide (money, valuables, etc.), usually for the future (often followed by away): I've squirreled away a few dollars for an emergency. 1

See all 5 definitions of squirreling

Information block about the term

Origin of squirreling

First appearance:

before 1325

One of the 16% oldest English words

1325-75; Middle English squirel < Anglo-French escuirel (Old French escuireul) ≪ Vulgar Latin *scūrellus, *scūriolus, representing Latin sciurus (< Greek skíouros literally, shadow-tailed (ski(á) shadow + -ouros, adj. derivative of ourá tail); apparently so called because the tail was large enough to provide shade for the rest of the animal) with diminutive suffixes -ellus, -olus

Historical Comparancy

Parts of speech for Squirreling

noun

adjective

verb

adverb

pronoun

preposition

conjunction

determiner

exclamation

Full grammatical hierarchy of Squirreling

squirreling popularity

A common word. It’s meaning is known to most children of preschool age. About 92% of English native speakers know the meaning and use the word.

Most Europeans know this English word. The frequency of it’s usage is somewhere between "mom" and "screwdriver".

squirreling usage trend in Literature

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