or plural weasel: any of various small slender active carnivorous mammals (genus Mustela of the family Mustelidae, the weasel family) that are able to prey on animals (such as rabbits) larger than themselves, are mostly brown with white or yellowish underparts, and in northern forms turn white in winter compare erminesense 1a
2
: a light self-propelled tracked vehicle built either for traveling over snow, ice, or sand or as an amphibious vehicle
Verb
the polite guest chose to weasel rather than admit that he didn't like the meal
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Noun
As Zidler, Petkoff portrays with vigor a self-serving weasel, albeit with a heart.—Rick Mauch, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 11 June 2025 Skunks are mammals that are more like weasels than rodents.—Arricca Elin Sansone, Southern Living, 22 June 2025
Verb
Despite her best efforts, Keith, who is serving life in prison, tries to weasel his way back into her life.—Jack Dunn, Variety, 22 July 2025 One of Wishman’s most Sapphic films is this gritty black-and-white sexploitation shocker about assassins who weasel their way into an apartment shared by two lesbians in order to kill a foreign dignitary.—Erik Piepenburg, New York Times, 2 June 2025 See All Example Sentences for weasel
Word History
Etymology
Noun
Middle English wesele, from Old English weosule; akin to Old High German wisula weasel
Verb
weasel word
First Known Use
Noun
before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1
or plural weasel: any of various small slender active mammals that are related to the minks, eat small animals (as mice and birds), and in northern regions turn white in winter compare erminesense 1
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