ferret
1 Americannoun
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a domesticated, usually red-eyed, and albinic variety of the polecat, used in Europe for driving rabbits and rats from their burrows.
verb (used with object)
-
to drive out by using or as if using a ferret (often followed byout ).
to ferret rabbits from their burrows;
to ferret out enemies.
-
to hunt with ferrets.
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to hunt over with ferrets.
to ferret a field.
-
to search out, discover, or bring to light (often followed byout ).
to ferret out the facts.
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to harry, worry, or torment.
His problems ferreted him day and night.
verb (used without object)
noun
noun
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a domesticated albino variety of the polecat Mustela putorius , bred for hunting rats, rabbits, etc
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an assiduous searcher
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a musteline mammal, Mustela nigripes , of W North America, closely related to the weasels
verb
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to hunt (rabbits, rats, etc) with ferrets
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to drive from hiding
to ferret out snipers
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to find by persistent investigation
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(intr) to search around
noun
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of ferret1
First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English feret, furet, from Middle French furet, fuiret, from Vulgar Latin furittus (unrecorded), equivalent to fūr “thief” + -ittus -et
Origin of ferret2
First recorded in 1570–80; alteration of Italian fioretto “floss silk,” literally, “little flower,” equivalent to fior(e) + -etto diminutive ending; see flower, -et
Explanation
You may be familiar with ferrets, those adorable little mammals that look like cheap minks. Well, the verb to ferret means to act like a ferret: to dig for something until you find it. Ferrets are great at digging, so it's no surprise that we acknowledge their skills when we make the verb ferret, which almost always comes attached to the preposition "out." Woodward and Bernstein worked tirelessly to ferret out the names of the guys who raided the Watergate offices. When you're ready, I'm going to ask you to ferret out those two photos from that stack of photo boxes.
Vocabulary lists containing ferret
A Vocabulary Bestiary: Animals That Behave as Verbs
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And Then There Were None
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Amazing Animals, A-Z
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
More than 400 ferret traps were laid in 2023.
From BBC • Mar. 22, 2026
Paul McCartney emerged from the wreckage of the Fab Four in 1970, eager to ferret out a fresh sound.
From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 27, 2026
They’re all law-abiding people, and this directive ostensibly aims to ferret out terrorists and criminals.
From Slate • Dec. 17, 2025
We will ferret out students who protest against my policies.
From Salon • Oct. 18, 2025
The ferret stood awkwardly, ill at ease, awaiting orders.
From "Redwall" by Brian Jacques
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
