mink

noun

ˈmiŋk 

plural mink or minks

1

: soft fur or pelt of the mink varying in color from white to dark brown

2

: either of two slender-bodied semiaquatic carnivorous mammals (Mustela vison of North America and M. lutreola of Eurasia) of the weasel family that have partially webbed feet, a rather short bushy tail, and a soft thick coat

Illustration of mink

• mink 2

Examples of mink in a Sentence

a coat made of mink

women wearing expensive jewelry and minks

Recent Examples on the Web

There are also coyotes at the park, though Sweet said these aren’t as common to see, but there are mink, beaver and muskrats that can be seen along Fall Creek and near Duck Pond. —Karl Schneider, The Indianapolis Star, 28 June 2024

Widespread outbreaks of bird flu among mink and foxes at Finland’s mostly open-air fur farms led to the culling last year of some 485,000 animals to stop the virus from spreading among the animals as well as to humans. —Reuters, NBC News, 25 June 2024

While lashes like the Ardell Active Lash utilize synthetic fibers that can sometimes look plasticky, this real hair (but faux mink) style is a soft and believable drugstore lash option. —Alyssa Brascia, Peoplemag, 17 May 2024

In Denmark, more than 200 people contracted COVID-19 from minks. —Larry Brilliant, Foreign Affairs, 8 June 2021

Word History

Etymology

Middle English

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

mink

noun

ˈmiŋk 

plural mink or minks

: either of two flesh-eating mammals that resemble the related weasels, have a slender body, partly webbed feet, and a somewhat bushy tail, and live near water

also : the soft normally dark brown fur of a mink