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 erminesense 1a
2
: a light self-propelled tracked vehicle built either for traveling over snow, ice, or sand or as an amphibious vehicle
Verb
the polite guest chose to weasel rather than admit that he didn't like the meal
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
Part of the mustelid family, otters are related to weasels, bears and badgers, but they are considered cuter than their cousins by many.—Tracy Scott Forson, Smithsonian Magazine, 4 June 2024 Under the program, the government plans to eradicate rats, possums (a marsupial native to Australia), weasels, ferrets — and the pesky stoat.—Dhruv Tikekar, CNN, 10 Apr. 2024
Verb
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 Muir must use his wits to weasel his way into meetings while evading suspicion of his intentions.—Kevin Jacobsen and Terry Terrones Updated, EW.com, 10 Nov. 2023 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
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 erminesense 1
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