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marmotte

groundhog, marmot

noun mahr-MOT Rare
Animals & Nature Mammals

Usage Note

Marmotte names both the Alpine marmot (Marmota marmota) and, in North America, the groundhog. In French-speaking Switzerland and Savoie, the marmot is a regional symbol. The expression dormir comme une marmotte ('to sleep like a log') is a very common idiom learners encounter early.

Examples

"La marmotte dort tout l'hiver dans son terrier."

Natural Translation

The groundhog sleeps all winter in its burrow.

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