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musteline

[muhs-tl-ahyn, -in]
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adjective
  1. belonging or pertaining to the family Mustelidae, including the martens, skunks, minks, weasels, badgers, and otters.
  2. resembling a weasel.
  3. tawny or brown, like a weasel in summer.
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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. 2018

Examples from the Web for musteline

Historical Examples

  • 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

adjective
  1. 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)
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noun
  1. any musteline animal
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Word Origin

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

adj.

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

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Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper