weasel

[wee-zuhl]

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.

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

/ 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

Other Word Forms

• weaselly adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of weasel¹

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of weasel¹

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

Example Sentences

“UPS is trying to weasel its way out of creating good union jobs here in America,” Teamsters General President Sean O’Brien said in July.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

His screen persona has often been the sleaziest of weasels, the connoisseur’s moral degenerate.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Rather than make direct claims about cures, supplement promoters resort to vague boasts about their products using what the Canadian researchers identify as weasel words that can foster the impression of efficacy.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

That means eradicating invasive species such as possums, rats and mustelids—a group that includes weasels, ferrets and stoats.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

The species, which is related to weasels, were once common but declined during the 18th and 19th centuries because of hunting and the loss of woodland.

Read more on BBC