stoat

noun

ˈstōt 

plural stoats also stoat

: the common ermine (Mustela erminea) chiefly of northern Eurasia and North America that is brown above and white below in summer and in its northern range all white in winter and that ranges from 9 to 15 inches (23 to 38 centimeters) in length including a black-tipped tail that is usually 1 ½ to 3 ½ inches (3.8 to 9 centimeters) long : ermine sense 1a, short-tailed weasel

Examples of stoat in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The resort also operates a predator-free zone, with 450 traps targeting invasive pests like possums, stoats and rats. —Christopher Elliott, Forbes.com, 29 June 2025

Hunting and deforestation nearly drove the parrots to extinction, with help from cats, dogs, rats and stoats. —New York Times, 25 July 2025

On July 12, a pedestrian reported a dead stoat on the Rakiura Great Walk Track. —Lauren Liebhaber july 22, Miami Herald, 22 July 2025

Take New Zealand, for example, where the Department of Conservation has spent decades removing invasive stoats, rats and possums from offshore islands. —Scott Travers, Forbes.com, 6 July 2025

Word History

Etymology

Middle English stote

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for stoat

• bloat
• boat
• choate
• coat
• cote
• dote
• float
• gloat
• goat
• groat
• haute
• moat

Kids Definition

stoat

noun

ˈstōt 

: a common ermine of northern regions especially in its brown summer coat