spermophile
English edit
Etymology edit
From spermo- + -phile, hence, "seed-lover".
Pronunciation edit
Noun edit
spermophile (plural spermophiles)
- A terrestrial burrowing rodent; ground squirrel.
- 1920, Thornton W. Burgess, “Striped Chipmunk and his Cousins”, in The Burgess Animal Book for Children[1]:
- 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.
Synonyms edit
Derived terms edit
French edit
Pronunciation edit
Noun edit
spermophile m (plural spermophiles)
- spermophile
Derived terms edit
Further reading edit
- “spermophile”, in Trésor de la langue française informatisé [Digitized Treasury of the French Language], 2012.