weasel

American  

[wee-zuhl] / ˈwi zəl /

noun

plural

weasels,

plural

weasel

1. any small carnivore of the genus Mustela, of the family Mustelidae, having a long, slender body and feeding chiefly on small rodents.

2. any of various similar animals of the family Mustelidae.

3. a cunning, sneaky person.

4. a tracked vehicle resembling a tractor, used in snow.

5. Slang. an informer; stool pigeon.

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verb (used without object)

1. to evade an obligation, duty, or the like; renege (often followed byout ).

   That's one invitation I'd like to weasel out of.

2. to use weasel words; be ambiguous; mislead.

   Upon cross-examination the witness began to weasel.

3. Slang. to inform.

weasel British  

/ ˈwiːzəl /

noun

1. any of various small predatory musteline mammals of the genus Mustela and related genera, esp M. nivalis ( European weasel ), having reddish-brown fur, an elongated body and neck, and short legs

2. informal a sly or treacherous person

3. a motor vehicle for use in snow, esp one with caterpillar tracks

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Other Word Forms

• weaselly adjective

Etymology

Origin of weasel

before 900; 1920–25 weasel for def. 6; Middle English wesele, Old English wesle, weosule; cognate with Old High German wisula, German Wiesel

Example Sentences

“But when universities do the same thing by trying to weasel out of their contracts, it’s equally corrosive.”

From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 24, 2025

Traditional brushes are made with animal hair from squirrels, goats or sable, a species of weasel.

From BBC • Nov. 22, 2024

Lacking Spotify, they decided to pass the time by undertaking “an enumeration and actual count” of road-killed animals—a battered weasel here, a flattened garter snake there.

From Slate • May 25, 2024

Wolverines resemble diminutive bears but are the largest member of the weasel family, weighing up to 40 pounds.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 11, 2024

It was not long before a weasel picked up the scent of the blood and followed it.

From "Watership Down: A Novel" by Richard Adams