Prāi'rie-dŏg, n.

noun

n. (Zoöl.) A small rodent animal, the Cynomus (or Spermophilus) ludovicianus, allied to the marmot, and found on the prairies west of the Mississippi. These animals burrow in the ground, in large warrens, and are characterized by a sharp bark, like that of a small dog. Kirby. W. Irving.

An engraved illustration of a prairie dog sitting upright on its hind legs. — Prairie-dog.