cat squirrel
1
6.5
- noun
- US
- The cat squirrel forages for nuts and seeds, making it a common sight in eastern North America.
Examples
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We spotted a cat squirrel gathering acorns near the edge of the woods.
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The cat squirrel is larger than most other squirrels found in the area.
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After being introduced to England, the cat squirrel adapted well to its new environment.
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I saw a cat squirrel in the park yesterday.
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The cat squirrels are very active during the day.
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While walking through the forest, we saw a cat squirrel climbing a tree, its bushy tail swaying behind it.
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Many people enjoy watching the playful antics of a cat squirrel as it jumps between branches.
Synonyms
1
5.7
A large tree squirrel with a bushy tail and reddish fur
1
9.9
A large squirrel that lives in trees in eastern and central United States often called a fox squirrel
A large tree squirrel with a bushy tail and reddish gray fur that lives in the eastern United States
Surface Forms
Morphology
cat + squirrel
Both constituents are concrete so a B1 learner who knows 'cat' and 'squirrel' would likely infer that this refers to a kind of squirrel (i.e. a hyponym). However, the specific identification as the Eurasian red squirrel and the use of 'cat' as the modifier is not predictable from the parts nor a common modifier pattern, so the exact sense is not fully derivable.
Etymology
The noun cat squirrel may come from early settlers who saw a large tree squirrel that moved with the quick, graceful steps of a small cat and had a big bushy tail. That's why people called this larger eastern or fox squirrel a 'cat squirrel'.