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Webster's New World College Dictionary » weaselly
weaselly
Variant of weasel
weasel
definition
wea·sel (wē′zəl)
noun pl. weasels -·sels or weasel -·sel
- 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
- 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
- to use weasel words
- Informal to avoid or evade a commitment or responsibility: with out
Related Forms:
- weaselly wea′·selly adjective
Webster's New World College Dictionary Copyright © 2009 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio.
Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
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