"squirrel cage" meaning in All languages combined

See squirrel cage on Wiktionary

Noun [English]

Forms: squirrel cages [plural]
Head templates: {{en-noun}} squirrel cage (plural squirrel cages)
  1. A circular cage for a squirrel or other small animal, which rotates vertically as the animal runs at the bottom. Synonyms: squirrel wheel, squirrel's cage Derived forms: squirrel-cage motor Related terms: hamster wheel
    Sense id: en-squirrel_cage-en-noun-PpNW1D6G Categories (other): English entries with incorrect language header, Pages with 1 entry, Pages with entries Disambiguation of English entries with incorrect language header: 59 16 25 Disambiguation of Pages with 1 entry: 65 17 18 Disambiguation of Pages with entries: 64 17 19
  2. (figuratively, by extension) A tedious, repetitive, unfulfilling activity or situation, especially one in which no progress is achieved. Tags: broadly, figuratively
    Sense id: en-squirrel_cage-en-noun-FXPRABrR
  3. (engineering) Any other device, such as a fan or rotor, that resembles a squirrel cage in form. Categories (topical): Engineering
    Sense id: en-squirrel_cage-en-noun-Ao~SPnS- Topics: engineering, natural-sciences, physical-sciences

Inflected forms

Alternative forms

{
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "squirrel cages",
      "tags": [
        "plural"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {},
      "expansion": "squirrel cage (plural squirrel cages)",
      "name": "en-noun"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "noun",
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [
        {
          "_dis": "59 16 25",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English entries with incorrect language header",
          "parents": [
            "Entries with incorrect language header",
            "Entry maintenance"
          ],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "65 17 18",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Pages with 1 entry",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "64 17 19",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Pages with entries",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        }
      ],
      "derived": [
        {
          "_dis1": "58 2 39",
          "word": "squirrel-cage motor"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "A circular cage for a squirrel or other small animal, which rotates vertically as the animal runs at the bottom."
      ],
      "id": "en-squirrel_cage-en-noun-PpNW1D6G",
      "links": [
        [
          "circular",
          "circular"
        ],
        [
          "cage",
          "cage"
        ],
        [
          "animal",
          "animal"
        ],
        [
          "rotate",
          "rotate"
        ],
        [
          "vertical",
          "vertical"
        ]
      ],
      "related": [
        {
          "_dis1": "58 2 39",
          "word": "hamster wheel"
        }
      ],
      "synonyms": [
        {
          "_dis1": "58 2 40",
          "word": "squirrel wheel"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "58 2 40",
          "word": "squirrel's cage"
        }
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [],
      "examples": [
        {
          "ref": "1944, B. R. McElderry Jr., “The Grapes of Wrath: In the Light of Modern Critical Theory”, in College English, volume 5, number 6, page 312:",
          "text": "The poor stuggle for riches, success, power; but those who achieve them die out. Life is, then a sort of squirrel cage or treadmill.",
          "type": "quote"
        },
        {
          "ref": "1986, Madison Smartt Bell, Straight Cut (2011 Open Road Media edition), (Google Preview)",
          "text": "So maybe I wouldn't even call Kevin. . . . Or I could just see him socially. . . . Or I could . . . . Or, or, or. . . . I was still running around in this squirrel cage when the big gray poisonous cloud that usually covers New York materialized just off the right wing."
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "A tedious, repetitive, unfulfilling activity or situation, especially one in which no progress is achieved."
      ],
      "id": "en-squirrel_cage-en-noun-FXPRABrR",
      "links": [
        [
          "tedious",
          "tedious"
        ],
        [
          "repetitive",
          "repetitive"
        ],
        [
          "unfulfilling",
          "unfulfilling"
        ],
        [
          "progress",
          "progress"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(figuratively, by extension) A tedious, repetitive, unfulfilling activity or situation, especially one in which no progress is achieved."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "broadly",
        "figuratively"
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        {
          "kind": "topical",
          "langcode": "en",
          "name": "Engineering",
          "orig": "en:Engineering",
          "parents": [
            "Applied sciences",
            "Technology",
            "Sciences",
            "All topics",
            "Fundamental"
          ],
          "source": "w"
        }
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "ref": "1996 May 19, Edward R. Lipinski, “Home Clinic: Time to Inspect Air-Conditioners”, in New York Times, retrieved 2014-02-13:",
          "text": "A blower, in the shape of a drum fan (also called a \"squirrel cage\"), pulls the warm humid air from the room across the coils.",
          "type": "quote"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "Any other device, such as a fan or rotor, that resembles a squirrel cage in form."
      ],
      "id": "en-squirrel_cage-en-noun-Ao~SPnS-",
      "links": [
        [
          "engineering",
          "engineering#Noun"
        ],
        [
          "fan",
          "fan"
        ],
        [
          "rotor",
          "rotor"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(engineering) Any other device, such as a fan or rotor, that resembles a squirrel cage in form."
      ],
      "topics": [
        "engineering",
        "natural-sciences",
        "physical-sciences"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "wikipedia": [
    "Squirrel-cage rotor"
  ],
  "word": "squirrel cage"
}
{
  "categories": [
    "English countable nouns",
    "English entries with incorrect language header",
    "English lemmas",
    "English multiword terms",
    "English nouns",
    "Pages with 1 entry",
    "Pages with entries"
  ],
  "derived": [
    {
      "word": "squirrel-cage motor"
    }
  ],
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "squirrel cages",
      "tags": [
        "plural"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {},
      "expansion": "squirrel cage (plural squirrel cages)",
      "name": "en-noun"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "noun",
  "related": [
    {
      "word": "hamster wheel"
    }
  ],
  "senses": [
    {
      "glosses": [
        "A circular cage for a squirrel or other small animal, which rotates vertically as the animal runs at the bottom."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "circular",
          "circular"
        ],
        [
          "cage",
          "cage"
        ],
        [
          "animal",
          "animal"
        ],
        [
          "rotate",
          "rotate"
        ],
        [
          "vertical",
          "vertical"
        ]
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        "English terms with quotations"
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "ref": "1944, B. R. McElderry Jr., “The Grapes of Wrath: In the Light of Modern Critical Theory”, in College English, volume 5, number 6, page 312:",
          "text": "The poor stuggle for riches, success, power; but those who achieve them die out. Life is, then a sort of squirrel cage or treadmill.",
          "type": "quote"
        },
        {
          "ref": "1986, Madison Smartt Bell, Straight Cut (2011 Open Road Media edition), (Google Preview)",
          "text": "So maybe I wouldn't even call Kevin. . . . Or I could just see him socially. . . . Or I could . . . . Or, or, or. . . . I was still running around in this squirrel cage when the big gray poisonous cloud that usually covers New York materialized just off the right wing."
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "A tedious, repetitive, unfulfilling activity or situation, especially one in which no progress is achieved."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "tedious",
          "tedious"
        ],
        [
          "repetitive",
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          "unfulfilling"
        ],
        [
          "progress",
          "progress"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(figuratively, by extension) A tedious, repetitive, unfulfilling activity or situation, especially one in which no progress is achieved."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "broadly",
        "figuratively"
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        "English terms with quotations",
        "en:Engineering"
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "ref": "1996 May 19, Edward R. Lipinski, “Home Clinic: Time to Inspect Air-Conditioners”, in New York Times, retrieved 2014-02-13:",
          "text": "A blower, in the shape of a drum fan (also called a \"squirrel cage\"), pulls the warm humid air from the room across the coils.",
          "type": "quote"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "Any other device, such as a fan or rotor, that resembles a squirrel cage in form."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "engineering",
          "engineering#Noun"
        ],
        [
          "fan",
          "fan"
        ],
        [
          "rotor",
          "rotor"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(engineering) Any other device, such as a fan or rotor, that resembles a squirrel cage in form."
      ],
      "topics": [
        "engineering",
        "natural-sciences",
        "physical-sciences"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "synonyms": [
    {
      "word": "squirrel wheel"
    },
    {
      "word": "squirrel's cage"
    }
  ],
  "wikipedia": [
    "Squirrel-cage rotor"
  ],
  "word": "squirrel cage"
}

Download raw JSONL data for squirrel cage meaning in All languages combined (2.8kB)


This page is a part of the kaikki.org machine-readable All languages combined dictionary. This dictionary is based on structured data extracted on 2024-12-21 from the enwiktionary dump dated 2024-12-04 using wiktextract (d8cb2f3 and 4e554ae). The data shown on this site has been post-processed and various details (e.g., extra categories) removed, some information disambiguated, and additional data merged from other sources. See the raw data download page for the unprocessed wiktextract data.

If you use this data in academic research, please cite Tatu Ylonen: Wiktextract: Wiktionary as Machine-Readable Structured Data, Proceedings of the 13th Conference on Language Resources and Evaluation (LREC), pp. 1317-1325, Marseille, 20-25 June 2022. Linking to the relevant page(s) under https://kaikki.org would also be greatly appreciated.