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Glite Dictionary
spermophile

spermophile

9.9
A small animal like a ground squirrel that lives in burrows and often damages crops
  • noun
  • /ˈspɜrməˌfaɪl/
  • Specialized
translation icon : espermófilo
  • Farmers often consider the spermophile a pest because it can damage crops.

Examples

  • The spermophile is known for digging complex burrows in open fields.

  • Several species of spermophile are native to both Europe and North America.

  • The spermophile dug a deep burrow in the garden.

  • Many farmers consider spermophiles to be pests.

  • Farmers often consider the spermophile a pest because it can damage crops.

  • The spermophile is known for digging complex burrows in open fields.

  • Several species of spermophile are native to both Europe and North America.

Synonyms

ground squirrel
vsspermophile
2 3.5

A small animal that lives in holes in the ground and often has stripes

is the scientific term for a specific genus rather than the common group

Surface Forms

spermophile singular
spermophiles plural

Morphology

spermophile = sperm + phile

The word is a learned Greek-style scientific coinage meaning roughly 'seed-loving,' but that specialized zoological label does not let an average learner predict the rodent sense.

Etymology

Spermophile comes from Greek parts sperma meaning 'seed' and -phile meaning 'loving', like in bibliophile, which means 'book lover'. So a spermophile is a 'seed-lover', a rodent that eats seeds and digs burrows, which explains the name.