DictionaryAI

squirrel

USSKWURL/ˈskwɝ(ə)l/UKSKWI-ruhl/ˈskwɪ.ɹ(ə)l/

Pluralsquirrels

Verbsquirrels

6 meanings of squirrel

Practice

  1. 1
    tree rodentnouncountable
    A small animal with a big bushy tail that usually lives in trees, or a related animal such as a chipmunk.

    Like a small furry climber that lives high in the treetops.

    A squirrel ran up the oak tree with an acorn in its mouth.

    We watched a squirrel leap from branch to branch in the park.

    Note
  2. 2
    stashverbtransitive
    To hide something away so you can use it later.

    Like hiding your favorite candy where no one else will look.

    My mom squirrels away chocolate in the back of the freezer.

    Kids sometimes squirrel away candy under their pillows.

    UsageSay squirrel something away: “I squirrel a little money away each month.”

    Similarstash, hoard, hide, store, save

    Note
  3. 3
    person who storesnouncountable
    A person who likes to take or store away lots of things, often secretly.

    Like someone who keeps every little thing in case it comes in handy one day.

    My aunt is a real squirrel. She never throws away a single jar.

    Don't be a squirrel and hide all the good pens in your bag.

    Similarhoarder, magpie, packrat

Less common meanings

  1. 4
    get distractedverbcolloquialintransitive
    To suddenly lose focus and start thinking about something else.

    Like forgetting what you were saying because something caught your eye.

    It's easy to squirrel when the TV is on while you study.

    Sorry, I squirreled for a second. What were we talking about?

    Oppositefocus, concentrate

  2. 5
    noun
    In Scientology, an insulting name for someone who uses its methods in an unofficial or changed way.
  3. 6
    noun
    A small roller in a machine that combs wool, working next to the big main cylinder.

Practice

Can you tell the meanings of squirrel apart? Answer 3 quick questions from this page, or write your own sentence and AI will check it.

Origin

It comes from Old French and Latin words for the animal, going back to a Greek word traditionally explained as "shadow-tail" (from "shadow" plus "tail").

Checked 1 Nov 2026 · 3 facts

  • Squirrel derives through Old French and Latin words for the animal. en.wiktionary.org
  • The Latin ancestor derives from a Greek word for squirrel. en.wiktionary.org
  • The Greek word is traditionally explained as shadow-tail, from words meaning shadow and tail. en.wiktionary.org