squirrel
- Top 10000
Sense 1
- noun
- B2
A small animal with grey or red-brown fur and a long thick tail that climbs trees and eats nuts and seeds.
A squirrel ran along the fence and jumped onto the roof.
We watched a squirrel hanging upside down to reach the bird feeder.
Squirrels bury nuts in autumn and never find them all again.
The squirrel froze on the tree trunk, then darted upwards.
Common collocations: grey squirrel · red squirrel · a squirrel runs up a tree · feed the squirrels · squirrel's tail
Part of: Animals
Sense 2 · less common
- verb
- C1
To hide money or things in a safe place so that you can use them later.
He squirrels away part of his salary every single month.
She had squirrelled some chocolate away at the back of the cupboard.
They squirrelled the old letters away in a locked box.
Common collocations: squirrel away money · squirrel something away for later · squirrel away savings
Part of: Bank and money
Forms
- past
- squirrelled (UK) / squirreled (US)
- plural
- squirrels
- third_person
- squirrels