ferret

1 of 3

noun (1)

fer·​ret ˈfer-ət How to pronounce ferret (audio)
1
a
: a domesticated usually albino, brownish, or silver-gray animal (Mustela putorius furo) that is descended from the European polecat
2
: an active and persistent searcher
ferrety adjective

ferret

2 of 3

verb

ferreted; ferreting; ferrets

intransitive verb

1
: to hunt with ferrets
2
: to search about

transitive verb

1
a(1)
: to hunt (animals, such as rabbits) with ferrets
(2)
: to force out of hiding : flush
b
: to find and bring to light by searching
usually used with out
ferret out the answers
2
ferreter noun

ferret

3 of 3

noun (2)

: a narrow cotton, silk, or wool tape

called also ferreting

Did you know?

Ferret as a Verb

Since the 14th century, English speakers have used ferret as the name of a small domesticated animal of the weasel family. The word came to us by way of Anglo-French and can be traced back to Latin fur, meaning "thief." These days ferrets are often kept as pets, but previously they were used to hunt rabbits, rats, and other vermin, and to drive them from their underground burrows. By the 15th century, the verb ferret was being used of the action of hunting with ferrets. By the late 16th century, the verb had taken on figurative uses as well. Today, we most frequently encounter the verb ferret in the sense of "to find and bring to light by searching."

Examples of ferret in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
His 2018 proposal suggested addressing that question by creating versions of the virus with those mutations and infecting ferrets with them. Sheryl Gay Stolberg, New York Times, 16 Oct. 2023 So instead, researchers expose guinea pigs, rats, mice or ferrets, depending on the pathogen. Tara C. Smith, Quanta Magazine, 27 Sep. 2023 Keep cats and ferrets indoors, and dogs under your supervision. Spay or neuter your pets. Christina Hall, Detroit Free Press, 17 Aug. 2023 Utah law requires pet dogs, cats and ferrets to be immunized against the virus. Jordan Miller, The Salt Lake Tribune, 1 Sep. 2023 Over the years, the family has housed ferrets, horses, chickens, a Bernese Mountain Dog, a cat, fish and rabbits in addition to the bearded dragon that Carson eventually added to the collection. Ben Bolch, Los Angeles Times, 29 Aug. 2023 Farmers and other residents brought vegetables — cabbage, apples, pears and pumpkins — and hay to feed a menagerie that included two monkeys, Anfisa and Charlie, a pony named Malish, a mule, a parrot, a crow, a groundhog, guinea pigs and ferrets. Rachel Pannett, Washington Post, 7 June 2023 The grant says that studying the impacts of the frequencies on a human-like brain structure, such as a ferret or primate, is essential to a broader understanding. Tim Newcomb, Popular Mechanics, 13 Mar. 2023 The results were similar in tests on ferrets, fueling hopes the universal vaccine could work in humans, too. 5. Harold Maass, The Week, 28 Apr. 2023
Verb
To bring people in and keep them, Caldwell said that along with offering more sign-on bonuses and time off, small and midsize companies in Silicon Valley are offering more competitive stock options along with referral bonuses to help ferret the right people out in a mostly remote world. Chase Difeliciantonio, San Francisco Chronicle, 8 Nov. 2021 The incentive to ferret them out has only increased; Putin has recently made several appeals for the F.S.B. to be on alert for those seeking to undermine and destabilize the Russian state. Joshua Yaffa, The New Yorker, 31 Mar. 2023 There, researcher and Biological Dynamics founder Raj Krishnan, figured out how to use alternating current to ferret out very small bio-markers from blood and other liquid solutions. San Diego Union-Tribune, 24 Jan. 2023 And so do many in the corporate world, despite the thorough process of background checks, personal references and verification that seeks to ferret out fabrications. Matthew Boyle, Fortune, 16 Jan. 2023 The chances of a teacher being able to ferret out that the essay was written by AI and not by the student are nearly next to zero. Scandalous! Lance Eliot, Forbes, 18 Dec. 2022 So Parker poses as a secretary — too-tight pencil skirts and all — at Strange Crime, hoping to ferret out clues. Sarah Weinman, New York Times, 23 Nov. 2022 New rules and enforcement actions are coming to ferret out crypto transactions that often went unreported in the past. Laura Saunders, WSJ, 11 Nov. 2022 Their targets are identified by campaign staff who rely on demographic research and polling to ferret out potential supporters among undecided Latinos, Asians and independents. Michael R. Blood, ajc, 10 Oct. 2022 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'ferret.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Noun (1)

Middle English furet, ferret, from Anglo-French firet, furet, from Vulgar Latin *furittus, literally, little thief, diminutive of Latin fur thief — more at furtive

Noun (2)

probably modification of Italian fioretti floss silk, from plural of fioretto, diminutive of fiore flower, from Latin flor-, flos — more at blow

First Known Use

Noun (1)

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Verb

15th century, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1

Noun (2)

1649, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of ferret was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near ferret

Cite this Entry

“Ferret.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ferret. Accessed 3 Dec. 2023.

Kids Definition

ferret

1 of 2 noun
fer·​ret ˈfer-ət How to pronounce ferret (audio)
1
: a domesticated usually albino, brownish, or silver-gray mammal closely related to the European polecat
2

ferret

2 of 2 verb
1
: to drive out of a hiding place
2
: to find and bring to light by searching
usually used with out

More from Merriam-Webster on ferret

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!