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

Etymology

Origin of mink

1425–75; late Middle English, of uncertain origin

Compare meaning

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

• mink vs. muskrat
• stoat vs. mink

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 project in Kent follows a similar one in east Anglia, where there was a 70% year-on-year reduction in mink numbers, leading to the species' complete removal from Norfolk, Suffolk and East Cambridgeshire.

From BBC ● Jul. 6, 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

But she faced a barrage of criticism over her handling of the "mink crisis" in November 2020.

From Barron's ● Mar. 25, 2026

It has led to the deaths of more than 400 million poultry worldwide and has infected dairy cows, mink, foxes, bears, otters, and many other mammals and wild birds.

From Science Daily ● Feb. 12, 2026

To the left are the winter whites: wool coats, mink hats, wool sweaters.

From "Like Vanessa" by Tami Charles

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

"It's a super rare mutation," says Stankowich, who has studied mustelids, a group that includes badgers, minks, and weasels.

From National Geographic ● Feb. 12, 2024

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

Women were wearing minks despite the July heat.

From "Middlesex: A Novel" by Jeffrey Eugenides

Related Words

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