# squirrel

> English word · Noun · IPA /ˈskwɪ.ɹ(ə)l/ · frequency rank #11,471

## Definitions
1. Any of the rodents of the family Sciuridae.
2. Any of the rodents of the family Sciuridae.
3. Someone who displays squirrel-like qualities such as stealing or hoarding objects.
4. One of the small rollers of a carding machine which work with the large cylinder.
5. A person, usually a freezoner, who applies L. Ron Hubbard's technology in a heterodox manner.

## Etymology
From Middle English squirel, squyrelle, from Anglo-Norman esquirel and Old French escurel (whence French écureuil), from Vulgar Latin *scūriolus, diminutive of *scūrius, variant of Latin sciūrus, from Ancient Greek σκίουρος (skíouros, “shadow-tail”, from σκιά (skiá, “shadow”) + οὐρά (ourá, “tail”)).
Displaced native Middle English acquerne, aquerne, from Old English ācweorna.

## Easily confused with
- **squire** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/squire-vs-squirrel)

## Common misspellings (10)
`qsuirrel`, `sqiurrel`, `sqquirrel`, `squirel`, `squirerl`, `squirrell`, `squirrle`, `squrirel`, `ssquirrel`, `suqirrel`

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/squirrel