weasel

1 of 2

noun

wea·​sel ˈwē-zəl 

plural weasels

1

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 ermine sense 1a

2

: a light self-propelled tracked vehicle built either for traveling over snow, ice, or sand or as an amphibious vehicle

3

: a sneaky, untrustworthy, or insincere person

Illustration of weasel

• weasel 1

weasel

2 of 2

verb

weaseled; weaseling ˈwēz-liŋ 

ˈwē-zə-

intransitive verb

1

: to use weasel words : equivocate

2

: to escape from or evade a situation or obligation

—often used with out

transitive verb

: to manipulate shiftily

Synonyms of weasel

Verb

• shake
• duck
• hedge
• equivocate
• dodge
• waffle
• evade

Examples of weasel in a Sentence

Verb

the polite guest chose to weasel rather than admit that he didn't like the meal

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

After Felix invites him to his family’s palatial country house over summer break, Oliver weasels his way into their good graces and turns their world upside down. —Kevin Jacobsen, Entertainment Weekly, 6 June 2026

Normally, during the warmer months, timber rattlesnakes feed on weasels and small rodents. —Stephen Underwood, Hartford Courant, 16 Apr. 2026

Verb

From there, the Giants remained deadlocked in a 1-1 tie until the 10th, though San Francisco’s relievers had to weasel their way out of trouble to keep the game tied. —Justice Delos Santos, Mercury News, 8 June 2026

Microsoft now feels that OpenAI is trying to weasel its way around this clause, with both companies’ lawyers fighting for weeks over the latter’s agreement with Amazon, sources told the FT. —Frank Landymore, Futurism, 19 Mar. 2026

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

Verb

1925, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 2

Phrases Containing weasel

• bridled weasel
• least weasel
• long-tailed weasel
• short-tailed weasel
• weasel his way into
• weasel into
• weasel out of
• weasel word

Rhymes for weasel

• easel
• biodiesel

Kids Definition

weasel

noun

wea·​sel

ˈwē-zəl

plural weasels

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 ermine sense 1

2

: a sneaky, untrustworthy, or dishonest person