rhizoverbBeta
DictionaryweaselSmall predatory mammal
noun

weasel

WEE-zuhl/ˈwiːzl/

A small meat-eating mammal with a long, slender body and short legs.

The weasel darts toward a mouse.

A small brown-and-cream weasel darts low over the ground toward a mouse, showing its long slender body, short legs, and agile hunting posture.
Etymology
weaselOld Englishweasel

Old English weosule already named the animal. Its deeper origin is obscure, though Watkins suggests a probable relationship with the name bison through a shared reference to a foul, musky smell.

In context

Get.factual2:47
The weasel is a common garden resident. But it's fast and elusive, so rarely seen. This one has spotted a mouse.
The Secret Garden - Springtime's Micro-Ecosystems - Full Nature Documentary

More examples

  • A weasel hunted near the barn.
  • The weasel's long body disappeared into the grass.
  • Several weasels had been seen near the stream.

Forms

weasel · weasels

Similar words

stoat
A related small mammal, often with a black-tipped tail.
ferret
A related animal commonly domesticated.