ferret
noun
a domesticated, usually red-eyed, and albinic variety of the polecat, used in Europe for driving rabbits and rats from their burrows.
ferreted
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past participleof ferret.past participle
A verb form used in perfect and passive verb constructions and that can also function as a modifier.
-
past tense formof ferret.past tense
Used to describe completed actions or previous habitual actions.
ferretnouna domesticated, usually red-eyed, and albinic variety of the polecat, used in Europe for driving rabbits and rats from their burrows.
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.
The Agriculture Department ferreted data from 28 states and says it found nearly 186,000 dead recipients.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 7, 2026
In a clever bit of detective work, Yale legal scholar Reva Siegel has ferreted out the vital role that this “seminar” plays in the originalist ecosystem:
From Slate ● May 14, 2024
“Good cops want bad cops ferreted out,” Jenkins said in a recent interview.
From Washington Post ● Mar. 20, 2023
This is a conventionally structured drama: two characters, a single set, the requisite amount of family conflict, a few ferreted out secrets and a dark shadow of menacing politics.
From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 25, 2022
He was glad that Jimmy thought he’d ferreted out the reason Frankie was late.
From "Time Bomb" by Joelle Charbonneau
