Weasel definition

wēzəl
weaseled weaseling weasels
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Frequency:
The definition of a weasel is an animal in the genus Mustela that's thin, has a long tail and eats small animals, or a sneaky person.

An example of a weasel is the creature chased by a monkey around the mulberry bush.

An example of a weasel is a person who always finagles more than she or he deserves.

noun
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Any of various carnivorous mammals of the genus Mustela, having a long slender body, a long tail, short legs, and brownish fur that in many species turns white in winter.
noun
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A person regarded as sneaky or treacherous.
noun
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To be evasive; equivocate.
verb
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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 found worldwide.
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A sly, cunning, or sneaky person.
noun
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To use weasel words.
verb
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(informal) To avoid or evade a commitment or responsibility.
verb
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Any of the carnivorous mammals of the genus Mustela, having a slender body, a long tail and usually a light brown upper coat and light-coloured belly.
noun
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A devious or sneaky person or animal.
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To achieve by clever or devious means.
verb
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(reflexive) To gain something for oneself by clever or devious means.
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(intransitive) To engage in clever or devious behavior.
verb
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The least weasel, Mustela nivalis.
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The taxonomic family Mustelidae is also called the weasel family.
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A type of yarn winder used for counting the yardage of handspun yarn. It most commonly has a wooden peg or dowel that pops up from the gearing mechanism after a certain number of yards have been wound onto the winder.
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Other Word Forms

Noun

Singular:
weasel
Plural:
weasels

Origin of weasel

  • Middle English wesele from Old English wesle

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

  • From Middle English wesele, from Old English weosule, from Proto-Germanic *wisulǭ (compare West Frisian wezeling, Low German Wessel, Wissel, Dutch wezel, German Wiesel, Swedish vessla), from Proto-Indo-European *wiselos (compare Irish fíal 'ferret'), from *wis- 'musk, stink' (compare Latin virus 'slimy liquid, mud; stench', Sanskrit विस्र (visra) 'musty, smelling of raw meat)'.

    From Wiktionary

  • The verb comes from the supposed cunningness of the weasel.

    From Wiktionary

Weasel Sentence Examples

  • Lastly, the weasel, mouse and most lizards were taboo.

  • The otter, martin and badger may be mentioned among the rarer wild animals, and the weasel, ermine and pole-cat among the more common.

  • Only a few animals are common to the entire country, such as the hare (Lepus timidus) and the weasel; although certain others may be added if the high mountain region be left out of consideration, such as the squirrel, fox and various shrews.

  • You will see a weasel holding a young rabbit in the window.

  • However, some weasel wording sucks out much of their meaning.

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Words near weasel in the Dictionary