squirrel

Everyday

1. A small furry animal with a long bushy tail that lives in trees, eats nuts and seeds, and can climb and jump very well. tree →
2. (verb, squirrel away) To hide or save things to use later. tree →

In the lessons

In science, squirrels are rodents and mammals; many bury nuts in autumn to eat in winter and forget some, which helps new trees grow. In Britain, the grey squirrel from America has replaced most native red squirrels. In safety, don't feed or try to touch wild squirrels — they can bite. Phrases: «grey/red squirrel», «squirrel away».

Examples

• A squirrel ran up the tree with a nut. tree →
• Squirrels bury nuts in autumn to eat in winter. tree →
• Red squirrels are rare in Britain now. tree →
• The squirrel's bushy tail helps it balance. tree →
• Squirrels forget some nuts, and these grow into trees. tree →
• Don't try to touch a squirrel; it can bite. tree →
• She squirrelled away her pocket money in a jar. tree →
• A grey squirrel stole the bird food again. tree →
• After them hopped in a number of squirrels. tree →

Note

Countable. British: squirrelled; American: squirreled. Said «SKWIR-ul» (British) or «SKWURL» (American). Most squirrels don't hibernate; they just rest more in cold weather. Flying squirrels glide, they don't really fly.