mink

American  

[mingk] / mɪŋk /

noun

• minks,
  plural
• mink
  plural

1. a semiaquatic weasellike animal of the genus Mustela, especially the North American M. vison.

2. the fur of this animal, brownish in the natural state and having lustrous outside hairs and a thick, soft undercoat.

3. a coat, stole, etc., made of this fur.

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mink British  

/ mɪŋk /

noun

1. any of several semiaquatic musteline mammals of the genus Mustela, of Europe, Asia, and North America, having slightly webbed feet

2. the highly valued fur of these animals, esp that of the American mink ( M. vison )

3. a garment made of this, esp a woman's coat or stole

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• mink
  plural
• minks
  plural

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Etymology

Origin of mink

1425–75; late Middle English, of uncertain origin

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Compare meaning

How does mink compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• mink vs. muskrat
• stoat vs. mink

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Explanation

A mink is a small, furry animal that's similar to a stoat or a weasel. Minks are prized for their soft pelts, which are often made into fur coats. If you are on your way to an animal rights event, leave your mink coat in the closet. You can use the noun mink to talk about the wild animal itself, which is not only hunted for its fur but also raised on farms, or to describe the wildly expensive coat made from the skin of many minks. A mink is the sort of warm fur coat you'd most likely see on a wealthy city dweller. The origin of mink is Scandinavian, related to the Swedish word menk, literally "a stinking animal in Finland."

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

mink minks

The water vole project works in tandem with another river trust scheme, which sees teams working with the Waterlife Recovery Trust to eradicate the mink population from Surrey.

From BBC ● Aug. 14, 2026

I have a photo of my mother at the Bowl on a chilly 1940s evening sporting, like other ladies around her in the inexpensive bleachers, her mink stole.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 16, 2026

Batford Springs was chosen after the trust installed a raft at the site to monitor mink numbers.

From BBC ● Jun. 9, 2026

Set aside for a moment whether this two-seat, 577-hp luxury convertible, this bazooka with a mink silencer, is any fun to drive.

From The Wall Street Journal ● May 2, 2026

Actually, their tour of the Fontainebleau’s gaudy premises went unnoticed, amid the men striding about in Bermuda shorts of candy-striped raw silk, and the women wearing bathing suits and mink Answer 201 stoles simultaneously.

From "In Cold Blood" by Truman Capote

Amid a worrying Covid variant outbreak among minks -- when Denmark was the largest exporter of their furs -- she ordered the culling of some 17 million minks, an order which was later ruled illegal.

From Barron's ● Mar. 25, 2026

It’s also been extremely deadly in seals, sea lions and minks.

From Salon ● Jun. 19, 2024

Domestic rats, color-pointed gerbils, and American minks can also carry the mutation.

From National Geographic ● Oct. 27, 2023

However, there are documented cases of H5N1 spreading in mammalian populations, ranging from minks to sea lions and dolphins, raising concern about human-to-human spread.

From Science Daily ● Sep. 29, 2023

I didn’t want to talk about skinning minks.

From "Dead End in Norvelt" by Jack Gantos

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Related Words

• cloak
• frock
• jacket
• overcoat
• raincoat
• suit
• tuxedo
• windbreaker
• wrap

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