different between squirrel vs chickaree

English

Etymology

From Middle English squirel, squyrelle, from Anglo-Norman esquirel and Old French escurel (whence French écureuil), from Vulgar Latin *sc?riolus, diminutive of *sc?rius, variant of Latin sci?rus, from Ancient Greek ???????? (skíouros) "shadow-tail", from ???? (skiá, “shadow”) + ???? (ourá, “tail”).

Displaced native Middle English acquerne, aquerne, from Old English ?cweorna.

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation, General Australian, UK) IPA^(key): /?skw??l?/, /?skw???l/
• (Canada, US) IPA^(key): /?skw?l/, /?skw?l?/, /?skw??l/
• (New England, very dated) IPA^(key): /?skw???l/
• Rhymes: -??(?)l, -???l

Noun

Wikispecies squirrel (plural squirrels)

1. Any of the rodents of the family Sciuridae distinguished by their large bushy tail.
   • 1865, Henry David Thoreau, Cape Cod, Chapter IX. "The Sea and the Desert", page 187.

     He also said that minks, muskrats, foxes, coons, and wild mice were found there, but no squirrels.

2. (Scientology, often derogatory) A person, usually a freezoner, who applies L. Ron Hubbard's technology in a heterodox manner.
3. One of the small rollers of a carding machine which work with the large cylinder.

Synonyms

• scug (provincial)

Derived terms

• gray squirrel
• purple squirrel
• red squirrel
• squirrel friend

Translations

Verb

squirrel (third-person singular simple present squirrels, present participle squirreling or (UK, less common) squirrelling, simple past and past participle squirreled or (UK, less common) squirrelled)

1. (transitive) To store in a secretive manner, to hide something for future use

Derived terms

• squirrel around
• squirrel away

English

Etymology

Onomatopoeia from its cry; compare chickadee.

Noun

chickaree (plural chickarees)

1. (Canada, US) A small squirrel, one of the species of Tamiasciurus, that lives in evergreen forests of North America.
   • 1864, Henry David Thoreau, The Maine Woods:

     We heard the sound of the chickaree

Usage notes

• The name was first applied to the eastern species of Tamiasciurus, T. hudsonicus, but is now more often used for the western T. douglasii.

References

• James A. H. Murray [et al.], editors (1884–1928) , “Chickaree”, in A New English Dictionary on Historical Principles (Oxford English Dictionary), volume II (C), London: Clarendon Press, OCLC 15566697, page 336, column 2.