black-footed ferret

noun

: a rare weasel (Mustela nigripes) of western North American prairies having a yellowish coat, dark feet and facial mask, and a dark-tipped tail

Illustration of black-footed ferret

Examples of black-footed ferret in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Its successful track record includes reintroducing black-footed ferrets, river otters, lynx, and, more recently, gray wolves, which were released into Colorado’s high country in December last year. —Christine Peterson, Vox, 5 Aug. 2024

Willa never reproduced, so her genes are not part of the captive black-footed ferret gene pool. —Will Sullivan, Smithsonian Magazine, 22 Apr. 2024

As previously reported, Elizabeth Ann was born from the frozen cells of Willa, a black-footed ferret who died over 30 years ago. —Brenton Blanchet, Peoplemag, 18 Apr. 2024

This sample was from a black-footed ferret that had no surviving offspring, meaning that many of her genes are genetically diverse from those in the rest of the species. —Ron Amadeo, Ars Technica, 4 Oct. 2023

Word History

First Known Use

1846, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

black-footed ferret

noun

black-foot·​ed ferret

ˈblak-ˌfu̇t-əd-

: an endangered weasel of western North American prairies having a yellowish coat, black feet and face markings, and a black-tipped tail