noun
pika
PEE-kuh
noun
1
A small, round-eared mammal related to rabbits rather than rodents, found in mountainous parts of North America and Asia.
"A pika darted between the rocks, its distinctive squeak echoing across the scree slope."
"Pikas spend the summer gathering grass into little haypiles to survive the winter."
How to Use Pika
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishA tiny, tailless, rabbit-relative that lives on rocky mountainsides.
Common mistake
Not related to Pikachu directly, though the Pokémon's name was inspired by this animal plus the Japanese word for a spark.
Common pairings
a pika colony
the American pika
Word Forms
pikas plural
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A _____ darted between the rocks, its distinctive squeak echoing across the scree slope.
Etymology
Borrowed via French from a Siberian (Evenki) word for the animal, likely imitating its high-pitched call.