weasel

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noun

wea·​sel ˈwē-zəl How to pronounce weasel (audio)
plural 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 sense 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

Illustration of weasel

Illustration of weasel
  • weasel 1

weasel

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verb

weaseled; weaseling ˈwēz-liŋ How to pronounce weasel (audio)
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

Verb the polite guest chose to weasel rather than admit that he didn't like the meal
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
Using a beautiful mixture of cut-outs and puppets, Roze’s film is a rather whimsical tale about a weasel who sells ties. Kambole Campbell, Variety, 2 Sep. 2024 For what is effectively a giant weasel that often dines on dead stuff, wolverines have remarkably specific habitat needs. Christine Peterson, Vox, 5 Aug. 2024
Verb
But when Douglas doesn’t invite her to the business dinner, the show suddenly takes a turn into wacky sitcom territory, with Maxine trying to weasel her way into Douglas’s business to meet and invite the Prince to the Beach Ball. Tom Smyth, Vulture, 10 Apr. 2024 These weeds—the ones that do the impossible and weasel their way through cracks in the patio, concrete, pavers, and driveway—can be so difficult to remove since most weeding tools don’t fit in between the cracks. Stephanie Osmanski, Southern Living, 3 May 2024 See all Example Sentences for weasel 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'weasel.' 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

Middle English wesele, from Old English weosule; akin to Old High German wisula weasel

Verb

weasel word

First Known Use

Noun

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

1900, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of weasel was before the 12th century

Dictionary Entries Near weasel

Cite this Entry

“Weasel.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/weasel. Accessed 15 Oct. 2024.

Kids Definition

weasel

noun
wea·​sel
ˈwē-zəl
plural weasels
1
or plural weasel : any of various small slender active mammals that are related to the minks, eat small animals (as mice and birds), and in northern regions turn white in winter compare ermine sense 1
2
: a sneaky, untrustworthy, or dishonest person

More from Merriam-Webster on weasel

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