polecat
[ pohl-kat ]
/ ˈpoʊlˌkæt /
noun, plural pole·cats, (especially collectively) pole·cat.
a European mammal, Mustela putorius, of the weasel family, having a blackish fur and ejecting a fetid fluid when attacked or disturbed.Compare ferret1(def 1).
any of various North American skunks.
Words nearby polecat
pole vault, pole-jump, pole-vault, poleax, poleaxe, polecat, poleis, polemarch, polemic, polemicize, polemics
Origin of polecat
1275–1325; Middle English polcat, perhaps equivalent to Middle French pol, poul chicken (< Latin pullus) + cat1
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Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019
Examples from the Web for polecat
British Dictionary definitions for polecat
polecat
/ (ˈpəʊlˌkæt) /
noun plural -cats or -cat
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 smellSee also sweet marten
any of various related animals, such as the marbled polecat, Vormela peregusna
US a nontechnical name for skunk (def. 1)
Word Origin for polecat
C14 polcat, perhaps from Old French pol cock, from Latin pullus, + cat 1; from its habit of preying on poultry
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
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