weasel

American  

[wee-zuhl] / ˈwi zəl /

noun

plural

weasels,

plural

weasel

1. any small carnivore of the genus Mustela, of the family Mustelidae, having a long, slender body and feeding chiefly on small rodents.

2. any of various similar animals of the family Mustelidae.

3. a cunning, sneaky person.

4. a tracked vehicle resembling a tractor, used in snow.

5. Slang. an informer; stool pigeon.

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verb (used without object)

1. to evade an obligation, duty, or the like; renege (often followed byout ).

   That's one invitation I'd like to weasel out of.

2. to use weasel words; be ambiguous; mislead.

   Upon cross-examination the witness began to weasel.

3. Slang. to inform.

weasel British  

/ ˈwiːzəl /

noun

1. any of various small predatory musteline mammals of the genus Mustela and related genera, esp M. nivalis ( European weasel ), having reddish-brown fur, an elongated body and neck, and short legs

2. informal a sly or treacherous person

3. a motor vehicle for use in snow, esp one with caterpillar tracks

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Other Word Forms

• weaselly
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of weasel

before 900; 1920–25 weasel for def. 6; Middle English wesele, Old English wesle, weosule; cognate with Old High German wisula, German Wiesel

Explanation

A weasel is a sneaky and sly person. Your weasel of a friend has a habit of "forgetting" his wallet every time he goes out to dinner with you. You can call someone who cheats and lies a weasel, or you can use the word literally, to refer to the small furry mammal called a weasel. The furry kind of weasel is known for its short legs, long neck, and musky smell. In fact, the word's Proto-Germanic origin wisand carries the meaning of a stinky animal. The verb weasel means to sneak or evade, like when you weasel out of doing the dishes.

Example Sentences

A previous search on Weasel Lane, not far from Mr Reece's flat, found a empty Monster energy drink can with his DNA on it, but police could not confirm how long it had been there.

From BBC • Jan. 5, 2025

I’m looking forward to potential second series of characters hopefully to include TDK, Weasel, the Thinker, Savant, Mongal and Captain Boomerang who would all look great in an action-figure format.

From Washington Times • Aug. 13, 2021

And I was grateful that the Weasel was revived in the mid-credits scene, I’m looking forward to seeing more of him!

From Los Angeles Times • Aug. 6, 2021

Speaking with Salon recently, he was not the chaotic character Genx-ers know as The Weasel.

From Salon • Sep. 4, 2020

We walk off the boat now, just behind Weasel and his guards.

From "Al Capone Does My Shirts" by Gennifer Choldenko