An alternative or dialectal spelling of chipmunk, a small striped rodent of North America.
Variant spelling of chipmunk, which comes from Algonquian languages (likely from Ojibwe 'atchitamon') meaning 'head-first' or 'one who descends headfirst,' referring to their climbing behavior.
The word 'chipmunk' has fascinating roots in Native American languages, and chipmucks like the Eastern chipmunk were named for their characteristic habit of diving headfirst into their burrows—something the original speakers clearly observed and valued enough to name.
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