prairie dog

Hello, you have come here looking for the meaning of the word prairie dog. In DICTIOUS you will not only get to know all the dictionary meanings for the word prairie dog, but we will also tell you about its etymology, its characteristics and you will know how to say prairie dog in singular and plural. Everything you need to know about the word prairie dog you have here. The definition of the word prairie dog will help you to be more precise and correct when speaking or writing your texts. Knowing the definition ofprairie dog, as well as those of other words, enriches your vocabulary and provides you with more and better linguistic resources.
See also: prairie-dog

English

Pronunciation

  • Audio (US, Northern California)(file)

Etymology 1

prairie + dog (from their yelping alarm calls)

Noun

Prairie dogs

prairie dog (plural prairie dogs)

  1. Any of genus Cynomys, small, stout-bodied burrowing rodents with shallow cheek pouches, native to North America and Central America.
Hyponyms
Translations

Further reading

Etymology 2

By analogy with how the animal pops its head up from its burrow.

Alternative forms

Verb

prairie dog (third-person singular simple present prairie dogs, present participle prairie dogging, simple past and past participle prairie dogged)

  1. (intransitive, transitive) To pop up from a hole or similar in a manner that resembles the way a prairie dog pops his head up from his burrow.
    • 2017, Kory Stamper, Word By Word, Vintage, published 2018, page 11:
      People prairie-dog over the tops of their cubicles and call to their co-workers: “Hey, you going for a walk at lunch today?”
  2. (slang, euphemistic) To struggle to hold back an involuntary bowel movement.
    • 2001, Andy Breckman, Rat Race
      Dad, I'm prairie dogging it! What the hell does that mean? You know, like when a prairie dog sticks his head in and out of the ground.
    • 2008, Adrien Clautrier with Rowe, Henry and Mack, Lindsay, Dirty French: Everyday Slang from "What's Up?" to "F*%# Off!"‎, Berkeley: Ulysses Press, →ISBN, →LCCN, page 54:
      I'm about to crap my pants.
      Je vais me faire au froc.
      I'm prairie-dogging it.
      J'ai le cigare au bout des lèvres.
      Literally, “the cigar is at the edge of my lips”
    • 2009, Brian J. Baker, Yuck! ...That Guy Didn't Wash His Hands!: The Complete Guide to the American Man's Bathroom Experience‎, American Bathroom Experience, →ISBN, page 150:
      […] Postin' Up On the Blaster / Power Dump / Prairie-Dogging it / Press a Loaf Purp […]
    • 2011, David, Jr. Rivera, Harlem's Dragon: The Love You Can't Fight‎, Largo: Strebo Books, →ISBN, page 162:
      “Oh, God stop, stop,” Kat said, holding her side, “I'm starting to prairie dog.” […] “You know, prairie dogging,” Kat said, trying to explain between breaths. “When it pokes its head out of the hole and then back in, out and in, out and in.”
    • 2011, Various, David Mack, James Robinson, Ty Templeton, Alan Moore, Jeph Loeb, Kurt Busiek, Vampirella Masters Series 4: The Lost Tales
      ...They are gonna get a mouthful and a pantful. Crappin their shorts all the way into next week... Yeah those little bastards will be prairie dogging it all the way home!
Translations

See also

  • crown (see: medical definition)
Wikious
Boobota
Sagapedia