Ermine Definition

ûrmĭn
ermines
noun
ermines
Any of several northern weasels having brown fur in summer and white fur with a black-tipped tail in winter, as the stoat.
Webster's New World
The soft, white fur of this animal, used for women's coats, trimming, etc.
Webster's New World
The position, rank, or functions of some European judges or peers, whose state robe is trimmed with ermine.
Webster's New World
A representation of a fur indicated by black spots on a white field.
Webster's New World

(poetic) A symbol of purity.

Wiktionary
Synonyms:
  • Mustela erminea
  • shorttail weasel
verb

To clothe with ermine.

Wiktionary

Other Word Forms of Ermine

Noun

Singular:
ermine
Plural:
ermines

Origin of Ermine

  • From Middle English ermine, ermin, ermyn, from Old French ermin, ermine, hermine, from Old Dutch *harmino ‘stoat skin’, from *harmo ‘stoat, weasel’ (compare Dutch dialectal herm), from Proto-Germanic *harmōn (compare Old English hearma, Old High German harmo (adj. harmin, obsolete German Harm), from Proto-Indo-European *ḱormon (compare Romansch carmun, obsolete Lithuanian šarmuõ).

    From Wiktionary

  • Middle English ermin from Old French ermine possibly of Germanic origin or from Medieval Latin (mūs) Armenius Armenian (mouse)

    From American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition

  • Note: The supposed derivation from Medieval Latin mūs Armenius (“Armenian mouse”) is without any foundation.

    From Wiktionary

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