prairie dog

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Noun

prairie dog (plural prairie dogs)

1. Any of genus Cynomys, small, stout-bodied burrowing rodents with shallow cheek pouches, native to North America and Central America.

Translations

• French: chien de prairie, chienne de prairie
• German: Präriehund
• Portuguese: cão-da-pradaria, cão-dos-prados
• Russian: лугова́я соба́чка
• Spanish: perrito de las praderas

Verb

prairie dog

1. (intransitive, transitive) 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.
   • 2017, Kory Stamper, Word By Word, Vintage 2018, p. 11:

     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. (slang, euphemistic) To struggle to hold back an involuntary bowel movement.
   • 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.

   • 2011, Various, David Mack, James Robinson, Ty Templeton, Alan Moore, Jeph Loeb, Kurt Busiek, Vampirella Masters Series 4: The Lost Tales

     ...They are gonna get a mouthful and a pantful. Crappin their shorts all the way into next week... Yeah those little bastards will be prairie dogging it all the way home!

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