BADGER

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

IPA (US):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does Badger mean? 

• BADGER (noun)
  The noun BADGER has 2 senses:

1. a native or resident of Wisconsin

2. sturdy carnivorous burrowing mammal with strong claws; widely distributed in the northern hemisphere

  Familiarity information: BADGER used as a noun is rare.

• BADGER (verb)
  The verb BADGER has 2 senses:

1. annoy persistently

2. persuade through constant efforts

  Familiarity information: BADGER used as a verb is rare.

 Dictionary entry details 

• BADGER (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

A native or resident of Wisconsin

Classified under:

Nouns denoting people

Synonyms:

Badger; Wisconsinite

Hypernyms ("Badger" is a kind of...):

American (a native or inhabitant of the United States)

Sense 2

Meaning:

Sturdy carnivorous burrowing mammal with strong claws; widely distributed in the northern hemisphere

Classified under:

Nouns denoting animals

Hypernyms ("badger" is a kind of...):

mustelid; musteline; musteline mammal (fissiped fur-bearing carnivorous mammals)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "badger"):

American badger; Taxidea taxus (a variety of badger native to America)

Eurasian badger; Meles meles (a variety of badger native to Europe and Asia)

ferret badger (small ferret-like badger of southeast Asia)

Arctonyx collaris; hog-nosed badger; hog badger; sand badger (southeast Asian badger with a snout like a pig)

• BADGER (verb)

Present simple: I / you / we / they badger    ... he / she / it badgers   
Past simple: badgered   
Past participle: badgered   
-ing form: badgering   

Sense 1

Meaning:

Annoy persistently

Classified under:

Verbs of feeling

Synonyms:

badger; beleaguer; bug; pester; tease

Context example:

The children teased the boy because of his stammer

Hypernyms (to "badger" is one way to...):

bedevil; crucify; dun; frustrate; rag; torment (treat cruelly)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s somebody

Sentence example:

Sam cannot badger Sue

Derivation:

badgerer (someone who tries to embarrass you with gibes and questions and objections)

Sense 2

Meaning:

Persuade through constant efforts

Classified under:

Verbs of telling, asking, ordering, singing

Hypernyms (to "badger" is one way to...):

persuade (cause somebody to adopt a certain position, belief, or course of action; twist somebody's arm)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s somebody
Somebody ----s somebody to INFINITIVE

Sentence example:

They badger him to write the letter

 Context examples 

Phosphine is among the stinkiest, most toxic gases on Earth, found in some of the foulest of places, including penguin dung heaps, the depths of swamps and bogs, and even in the bowels of some badgers and fish.

(Poisonous Earthly Molecule May Be Sign of Extraterrestrial Life, The Titi Tudorancea Bulletin)

In addition to the fox, the team also discovered extinct species of a wooly rhino (Coelodonta thibetana), three-toed horse (Hipparion), Tibetan bharal (Pseudois, known as blue sheep), chiru (Pantholops, known as Tibetan antelope), snow leopard (Uncia), badger (Meles), and 23 other mammals.

("Out of Tibet" hypothesis: Cradle of evolution for cold-adapted mammals is in Tibet, NSF)