weasel Hear it!

weasel Definition

wea·sel (zəl)

noun pl. -·sels or -·sel

  1. any of various agile musteline carnivores (esp. genus Mustela) with a long, slender body, short legs, and a long, bushy tail: they feed on rats, mice, birds, eggs, etc. and are worldwide
  2. a sly, cunning, or sneaky person

Etymology: ME wesel < OE wesle, akin to Ger wiesel, prob. < IE base *weis-, to flow out (with reference to the rank odor emitted by the animal) > virus, bison

intransitive verb

  1. to use weasel words
  2. Informal to avoid or evade a commitment or responsibility: with out

weasel Related Forms
wea·selly adjective
weasel Usage Examples

Converse of object

  • go: Rude girls began to grin, his pants were giving in, Lend him a safety pin, or - pop goes the weasel!
  • include: They have many predators including weasels, stoats, foxes, cats, owls, hawks, crows and even pheasants.
  • see: You will see a weasel holding a young rabbit in the window.
  • molest: And its also true that Charley molests weasels and other small rodents.
  • chase: The best thing I liked was when you chased the weasels.
  • spot: Home to much more than just our busy squirrels, you may even be lucky enough to spot a weasel.

Adjective modifier

  • little: A plague of flies on your dressing rooms that's all I can say to him, sneaky underhand little weasel Wiltshire ways.
  • Siberian: Cafe break then more; find a siberian weasel!
  • crazed: I think we have to make love on the front lawn like crazed weasels NOW!
  • wicked: Help Mole, Ratty, Toad and Badger in a race against time to overcome the wicked weasels!
  • true: Stoats are sometimes called ' weasels ' in Ireland, where the true weasel does not occur.

Modifies a noun

  • word: Out come the weasel words: God is not out there, he is in all of us.
  • family: A member of the weasel family that grew to the size of a cat.
  • wording: However, some weasel wording sucks out much of their meaning.
  • way: There are various weasel ways they have of not categorizing these people.
  • phrase: The GMC's ' respect for life ' is a weasel phrase that means little.
  • coffee: Along with their four standard coffee drinks, Vietnam is noted for a rather curious concoction called ' weasel coffee ' .

Noun used with modifier

  • ice: You know you ought to... and remember the ice weasels.
weasel Quotes

The weasel under the cocktail cabinet.

—Pinter, Harold