squir|rel

squir|rel «SKWUR uhl», noun, verb, -reled, -rel|ing or (especially British) -relled, -rel|ling.

–n.

1. a small, slender, agile rodent with a long, bushy tail, that usually lives in trees and eats nuts, shoots, and bark. The fox squirrel and red squirrel are two kinds.

2. any one of numerous related rodents, such as the ground squirrels, chipmunks, woodchucks or marmots, and flying squirrels.

3. the gray, reddish, or dark-brown fur of any squirrel.

4. any one of various flying phalangers of Australia.

5. Slang. a reckless driver of a hot rod: »

There was not a squirrel among them—no juvenile delinquent with wheels to zoom through traffic and terrorize the workaday motorist (Time).

–v.t.

to hide (away); bury or store (away): »

She is squirreling the stuff away, deep in one of the closets, and I stumbled on her cache this morning (H. Allen Smith).

╂[< Anglo-French esquirel, Old French escurel < Vulgar Latin sciūriolus (diminutive) < Latin sciūrus < Greek skíouros < ski shadow + our tail]

–squir´rel|like´, adjective.