polecat

American  

[pohl-kat] / ˈpoʊlˌkæt /

noun

plural

polecats,

plural

polecat

1. a European mammal, Mustela putorius, of the weasel family, having a blackish fur and ejecting a fetid fluid when attacked or disturbed.

2. any of various North American skunks.

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polecat British  

/ ˈpəʊlˌkæt /

noun

1. Also called (formerly): foumart.  a dark brown musteline mammal, Mustela putorius, of woodlands of Europe, Asia, and N Africa, that is closely related to but larger than the weasel and gives off an unpleasant smell See also sweet marten

2. any of various related animals, such as the marbled polecat, Vormela peregusna

3. a nontechnical name for skunk

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Etymology

Origin of polecat

1275–1325; Middle English polcat, perhaps equivalent to Middle French pol, poul “chicken” (< Latin pullus ) + cat ( def. )

Example Sentences

He confided in Dr. Glenn L. Jepsen, Princeton professor of paleontology, who was deep in some digging of his own at Polecat Bench a few miles away.

From Time Magazine Archive

Las' night I tak' my haxe And go for hund de skunk, Polecat.

From Time Magazine Archive

There was oil around Polecat Bench all right: the Wyoming-Montana Elk Basin Field, that was first opened up by Ohio Oil in 1915, has produced some oil and gas every year since.

From Time Magazine Archive

Led by Ohio Oil, the big U.S. oil companies swarmed over Polecat Bench.

From Time Magazine Archive

Then Mr. Polecat took his basket and went, and Jack Rabbit didn't come down for a long time, and when he did he couldn't stay in his house for the awful smell.

From The Hollow Tree and Deep Woods Book being a new edition in one volume of "The Hollow Tree" and "In The Deep Woods" with several new stories and pictures added by Paine, Albert Bigelow