stoat

noun

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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Milo is a brown and white stoat. Sarah Moore, Freep.com, 6 Mar. 2026 The flightless birds were easy pickings for invasive predators, including house cats, dogs and weasel-like stoats—the fruity eau de Kākāpō is pungent enough that even humans can track them by scent. Elizabeth Anne Brown, Scientific American, 4 Mar. 2026 The introduction of rats, dogs, cats and stoats, as well as hunting by people and destruction of native forest habitats, drove species of the country’s flourishing flightless birds — the kakapo among them — to near or complete extinction. Charlotte Graham-McLay, Los Angeles Times, 24 Feb. 2026 The hottest ticket at the Olympics was for Tina and Milo, the adorable, anthropomorphic stoat mascots whom fans couldn’t get enough of — literally. Jiachuan Wu, NBC news, 23 Feb. 2026 See All Example Sentences for stoat

Word History

Etymology

Middle English stote

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of stoat was in the 15th century

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Cite this Entry

“Stoat.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/stoat. Accessed 27 Mar. 2026.

Kids Definition

stoat

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