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ENGLISH DICTIONARY

Weasel

/ˈwiːz(ə)l/ · noun

Meaning

Any of the carnivorous mammals of the genera Mustela, Neogale, Poecilogale, and Lyncodon, having a slender body, a long tail and usually a light brown upper coat and light-coloured belly..

Definitions by Sense

  1. Any of the carnivorous mammals of the genera Mustela, Neogale, Poecilogale, and Lyncodon, having a slender body, a long tail and usually a light brown upper coat and light-coloured belly.
  2. A least weasel (Mustela nivalis).
  3. Any of certain other species of the family Mustelidae.
  4. (informal, derogatory) A devious or sneaky person or animal.
  5. A type of yarn winder used for counting the yardage of handspun yarn. It most commonly has a wooden peg or dowel that pops up from the gearing mechanism after a certain number of yards have been wound onto the winder.
  6. (transitive) To achieve by clever or devious means.
  7. (transitive or reflexive) To gain something for oneself by clever or devious means.
  8. (intransitive) To engage in clever or devious behavior.

Example Sentences

An old traditional prescription for provoking erotic inclinations ran as follows, The toe of the foot of a man, anointed with oil, or honey, or the ashes of a weasel.
Once you've gone beyond the scripted speeches, soundbites and cliches, you'll notice how the debate about leadership is primarily divided between the three governors and two senators, the other two weasels, Donald Trump and Ben Carson notwithstanding.
Prisoners are notorious for weaseling day passes to get out of lockup […] .
He's weaseled himself into a position where he can influence the outcome of this election.
Within just a couple of days, she [a dog] had weaseled her way into our hearts.
Authority figures have a history of weaseling on this topic.

Synonyms for weasel

mustela

Antonyms for weasel

Related Words

ferretbadgerskunkmouseratsharkmolescumbagcreepsmiledorksnoopmisleadingequivocalambiguousleast weaselweazelweasalweazleweezel

Word Forms

Usage Notes

Choose a synonym only when it preserves the intended meaning, tone, and grammar of the full sentence.

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Frequently Asked Questions

What does weasel mean?

Weasel means Any of the carnivorous mammals of the genera Mustela, Neogale, Poecilogale, and Lyncodon, having a slender body, a long tail and usually a light brown upper coat and light-coloured belly..

What is a synonym for weasel?

Common synonyms include mustela.

What is the opposite of weasel?

The opposite depends on the specific sense.

How do you use weasel in a sentence?

An old traditional prescription for provoking erotic inclinations ran as follows, The toe of the foot of a man, anointed with oil, or honey, or the ashes of a weasel.

Sources & Attribution

FreeDictionaryAPI.com / Wiktionary · Original source · CC BY-SA 4.0

Dictionary data is provided by FreeDictionaryAPI.com and sourced from Wiktionary under its stated license.