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Prairie dog

noun, verb, slang

Definitions

Noun
  1. 1
    Any of genus Cynomys, small, stout-bodied burrowing rodents with shallow cheek pouches, native to North America and Central America.
  2. 2
    any of several rodents of North American prairies living in large complex burrows having a barking cry wordnet
Verb
  1. 1
    To pop up from a hole or similar in a manner that resembles the way a prairie dog pops his head up from his burrow. idiomatic, intransitive, transitive

    "People prairie-dog over the tops of their cubicles and call to their co-workers: “Hey, you going for a walk at lunch today?”"

  2. 2
    To struggle to hold back an involuntary bowel movement. euphemistic, idiomatic, slang

    "2001, Andy Breckman, Rat Race [Kimberly needs to go to the bathroom] Dad, I'm prairie dogging it! What the hell does that mean? You know, like when a prairie dog sticks his head in and out of the ground."

Etymology

Etymology 1

From prairie + dog (“from their yelping alarm calls”).

Etymology 2

By analogy with the way in which the animal pops its head up from its burrow.

See also for "prairie dog"

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