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Glite Dictionary
👄 A person who whistles 🐿️ A marmot 🦆 A diving duck 🐦 A singing bird
whistler

whistler

1 8.1
A large ground squirrel that lives in mountains and makes a sharp high alarm call
  • noun
  • /ˈhwɪstlər/
  • US
translation icon : marmota silbadora

Examples

  • A whistler gave a sharp call, warning its colony of the approaching coyote.

  • During summer, it's common to see whistlers sunning themselves in the alpine meadows.

  • The hikers spotted a whistler perched on a rock, watching their every move.

  • The whistler is often seen in the mountains.

  • Many whistlers can be found in Rocky Mountain National Park.

  • The whistler made a sharp alarm call that echoed through the mountains.

  • While hiking, we heard the distinctive sound of a whistler warning us of nearby danger.

  • During our nature walk, a whistler caught our attention with its high-pitched whistling sound.

Synonyms

whistling marmot
vswhistler
  • US
8.5

A large ground squirrel that lives in mountains and makes a loud high whistle

is a shorter common name for the same animal
hoary marmot
vswhistler
  • US
9.6

A large North American ground squirrel with silvery gray fur that lives in mountains

emphasizes the animal's high-pitched alarm call rather than fur
Marmota caligata
vswhistler
  • Specialized
9.9

A large mountain marmot from northwestern North America that lives in cold high places

is a common descriptive name focusing on a high-pitched alarm call

Surface Forms

whistler singular
whistlers plural

Morphology

whistler = whistle (transparent) = whistle + er

The animal name is a common-name formation based on the animal's whistling alarm call, so the derivation is clear.

Etymology

Whistler for the mountain marmot is a name from the animal's loud, high 'whistle' warning call. That's why people call this rodent a whistler—it uses a clear whistle to warn others.