polecat

American  

[pohl-kat] / ˈpoʊlˌkæt /

noun

polecats plural

1. a European mammal, Mustela putorius, of the weasel family, having a blackish fur and ejecting a fetid fluid when attacked or disturbed.

2. any of various North American skunks.

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polecat British  

/ ˈpəʊlˌkæt /

noun

1. Also called (formerly): foumart.  a dark brown musteline mammal, Mustela putorius, of woodlands of Europe, Asia, and N Africa, that is closely related to but larger than the weasel and gives off an unpleasant smell See also sweet marten

2. any of various related animals, such as the marbled polecat, Vormela peregusna

3. a nontechnical name for skunk

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Other Word Forms

Inflected Forms

noun

• polecat
  plural
• polecats
  plural

Etymology

Origin of polecat

1275–1325; Middle English polcat, perhaps equivalent to Middle French pol, poul “chicken” (< Latin pullus ) + cat ( def. )

Example Sentences

Foot fired back, famously comparing Tebbit to a "semi-house-trained polecat" during a debate on parliamentary business.

From BBC • Jul. 8, 2025

Other species that have gotten infected around the world include a badger, bobcat, coyote, dolphin, ferret, fisher cat, fox, lynx, opossum, otter, pig, polecat, porpoise, raccoon, raccoon dog and multiple minks and seals.

From Seattle Times • Feb. 22, 2023

Two bobcats in Wisconsin, a coyote pup in Michigan and skunks in Canada have also tested positive for the virus, as have foxes, otters, a lynx, a polecat and a badger in Europe.

From New York Times • Jun. 18, 2022

I can’t deny that I’ve watched the polecat sequence upwards of a dozen times, but Miller’s film truly comes alive in Furiosa’s howl of desperation, and in Max’s noble disappearance into the throng.

From The Guardian • May 29, 2018

He was wearing his long moleskin overcoat and was absentmindedly swinging a dead polecat from one enormous hand.

From "Harry Potter And The Prisoner Of Azkaban" by J.K. Rowling