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weasel

[ wee-zuh l ]
/ ˈwi zəl /
SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR weasel ON THESAURUS.COM

noun, plural wea·sels, (especially collectively) wea·sel.

verb (used without object)

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RELATED WORDS

annul, revoke, backtrack, repudiate, contradict, renounce, disavow, renege, retract, disown, rescind, cancel, surrender, default, reverse, invalidate, void, dismantle, abolish, nullify

Nearby words

wearingly, wearisome, wearproof, weary, weasand, weasel out, weasel out, weasel word, weasel words, weaselly, weather

Origin of weasel

before 900; 1920–25 for def 6; Middle English wesele, Old English wesle, weosule; cognate with Old High German wisula, German Wiesel
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

British Dictionary definitions for weasel out (1 of 2)

weasel out

verb -sels, -selling or -selled or US -seling or -seled (intr, adverb) informal

to go back on a commitment
to evade a responsibility, esp in a despicable manner

British Dictionary definitions for weasel out (2 of 2)

weasel

/ (ˈwiːzəl) /

noun plural -sels or -sel

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
informal a sly or treacherous person
mainly US a motor vehicle for use in snow, esp one with caterpillar tracks
Derived Formsweaselly, adjective

Word Origin for weasel

Old English weosule, wesle; related to Old Norse visla, Old High German wisula, Middle Dutch wesel
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

Idioms and Phrases with weasel out

weasel out

Back out of a situation or commitment, especially in a sneaky way. For example, I'd love to weasel out of serving on the board. This expression alludes to the stealthy hunting and nesting habits of the weasel, a small, slender-bodied predator. [Colloquial; mid-1900s]

The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.