stoat

American  

[stoht] / stoʊt /

noun

• stoats
  plural

1. the ermine, Mustela erminea, especially when in brown summer pelage.

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stoat British  

/ stəʊt /

noun

1. a small Eurasian musteline mammal, Mustela erminea, closely related to the weasels, having a brown coat and a black-tipped tail: in the northern parts of its range it has a white winter coat and is then known as an ermine

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• stoats
  plural

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Etymology

Origin of stoat

1425–75; late Middle English stote < ?

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Compare meaning

How does stoat compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• stoat vs. mink

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

stoat stoats

This makes it yet another introduced species like the rat or stoat, with unpredictable behavior.

From Slate ● Aug. 8, 2025

Jose saw this stoat jump mid-air as an "expression of exuberance" as the small mammal hurled itself around in a fresh snowfall.

From BBC ● Aug. 28, 2024

On one predator-free island—home to threatened species such as a flightless parrot called the kakapo—the government spent some $295,000 over eight months tracking down a single stoat.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 5, 2024

Decked out at one point in a velvet blazer and turtleneck, hair teased into the likeness of a dead stoat, Robey is less demented sadist than disco king.

From New York Times ● Mar. 9, 2023

But then another shift in things took place, because he realized that they, both girl and stoat, were profoundly afraid of him, as much as if he’d been a ghost.

From "The Subtle Knife" by Philip Pullman

Meanwhile, beyond the gates and gawking tourists, stoats will gobble kiwi eggs and possums will devour our rata leaves.

From Slate ● Aug. 8, 2025

The carnivorous mammals are classed as an invasive species in the islands, and a culling programme for stoats began in 2019.

From BBC ● Apr. 21, 2025

“With rats and stoats, they are a lot harder.”

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 5, 2024

Starting in the 1800s, millions were slaughtered by nonnative predators like stoats, a mammal related to the weasel.

From New York Times ● Dec. 4, 2023

After issuing orders to his remaining captains, Cluny, accompanied by a score of assorted rats, weasels, stoats and ferrets, crept off along the course of the ditch.

From "Redwall" by Brian Jacques

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