Definition of weasel
weasels
1 or plural weasel : any of various small slender active carnivorous mammals (genus Mustela of the family Mustelidae, the weasel family) that are able to prey on animals (such as rabbits) larger than themselves, are mostly brown with white or yellowish underparts, and in northern forms turn white in winter — compare ermine 1a
2 : a light self-propelled tracked vehicle built either for traveling over snow, ice, or sand or as an amphibious vehicle
3 : a sneaky, untrustworthy, or insincere person
From the M-W Editors
Recent Examples of weasel from the Web
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Red pandas — which are more closely related to raccoons, weasels and skunks than to pandas — have a life expectancy of about 10 years in zoos and eight years in the wild, zoo officials said.
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Hey weasel, tell those f-----g Showtime b-----s to turn the air conditioning up, the champ champ's rocking polar bear tonight.
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Musk spells a weasel in the bushes or marmot close by.
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Now, however, Attorney General Pam Bondi’s office is after Woodall like a hungry weasel on a lame rabbit.
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Immediately, the promise of a weasel-outta-trouble Cruise falls apart.
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Don’t post vulgar, emotional reactions on Twitter and then delete them and offer weasel-word apologies.
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The red panda was created with a coyote tail and the dyed hides of fishers (a kind of weasel).
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Unlike our governor, two mayors and your weasel boss, Harrington.
These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'weasel.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Illustration of weasel
Origin and Etymology of weasel
Middle English wesele, from Old English weosule; akin to Old High German wisula weasel
weasel
Definition of weasel
weaseled
;weaseling
play \ˈwēz-liŋ, ˈwē-zə-\intransitive verb
1 : to use weasel words : equivocate
2 : to escape from or evade a situation or obligation —often used with out
transitive verb
: to manipulate shiftily
Examples of weasel in a Sentence
the polite guest chose to weasel rather than admit that he didn't like the meal
Recent Examples of weasel from the Web
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In this day and age, people are happy to consume rumors and then regurgitate them in toxic judgment, but the truth has a way of weaseling its way to the surface.
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Some ideas never made it past the pitch stage, while others managed to weasel their way into development—only to be stymied before hitting the airwaves.
These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'weasel.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Origin and Etymology of weasel
weasel word
WEASEL Defined for English Language Learners
weasel
playDefinition of weasel for English Language Learners
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: a small animal that has a thin body and brown fur and that eats small birds and other animals
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: a dishonest person who cannot be trusted
WEASEL Defined for Kids
weasel
playDefinition of weasel for Students
: a small slender active animal related to the mink that feeds on small birds and animals (as mice)
Learn More about weasel
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See words that rhyme with weasel Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for weasel Spanish Central: Translation of weasel Nglish: Translation of weasel for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of weasel for Arabic speakers Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about weasel
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