musteline

American

[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.

musteline British

/ 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)

"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

noun

any musteline animal

"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

Etymology

Origin of musteline

1650–60; < Latin mustēlīnus, equivalent to mustēl ( a ) weasel + -īnus -ine ¹

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.

Mus′teline, like a marten or weasel: tawny in colour.—n. a musteline mammal.—adj.

From Chambers's Twentieth Century Dictionary (part 2 of 4: E-M) by Various

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023