Dictionary

spermophile en · NOUN

Pronunciation

• /ˈspɜː(ɹ)məfaɪl/

Etymology

From Spermophilus from σπέρμα (spérma, “seed”) + φιλέω (philéō, “love”), hence, "seed-lover". This genus formerly included most of the terrestrial squirrels, but all of the North American species have been split off into separate genera.

Meanings

1. A terrestrial burrowing rodent; ground squirrel.
   • Your cousin, Seek Seek the Spermophile, sometimes called Gopher Squirrel, who lives on the open plains of the West where there are no rocks or stones. He likes best the flat, open country. He is called Spermophile because that means seed-eater, and he lives largely on seeds, especially on grain. 1920, Thornton W. Burgess, “Striped Chipmunk and his Cousins”, in The Burgess Animal Book for Children:

Forms

Deriveds

leopard-spermophile

Synonyms

souslik · ground squirrel · gopher · suslik