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definitions

musteline

[ muhs-tl-ahyn, -in ]
/ ˈmʌs tlˌaɪn, -ɪn /
|

adjective

belonging or pertaining to the family Mustelidae, including the martens, skunks, minks, weasels, badgers, and otters.
resembling a weasel.
tawny or brown, like a weasel in summer.

Nearby words

  1. mustard oil,
  2. mustard operation,
  3. mustard plaster,
  4. mustee,
  5. mustelid,
  6. muster,
  7. muster day,
  8. muster in,
  9. muster roll,
  10. musth

Origin of musteline

1650–60; < Latin mustēlīnus, equivalent to mustēl(a) weasel + -īnus -ine1
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for musteline

  • The small mandibular ramus of a musteline referred by Dr. Roth to Mephitis suffocans, does not pertain to this genus and species.

    Through the Heart of Patagonia|H. Hesketh Prichard
British Dictionary definitions for musteline

musteline

/ (ˈmʌstɪˌlaɪn, -lɪn) /

adjective

of, relating to, or belonging to the Mustelidae, a family of typically predatory mammals including weasels, ferrets, minks, polecats, badgers, skunks, and otters: order Carnivora (carnivores)

noun

any musteline animal

Word Origin for musteline

C17: from Latin mustēlīnus, from mustēla weasel, from mūs mouse + -tēla, of unknown origin
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Word Origin and History for musteline

musteline

adj.

"weasel-like; pertaining to weasels," 1650s, from Latin mustela (see mustelid) + -ine (1).

Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper