weasel
Definition from Wiktionary, a free dictionary
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[edit] English
[edit] Etymology
From Old English weosule, cognates in other Germanic languages (Dutch wezel, German Wiesel, Frisian wezeling), but has no known cognates in other Indo-European language groups.
[edit] Pronunciation
- IPA: /'wiːzəl/
- Audio (US)help, file
- Rhymes: -iːzəl
[edit] Noun
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Singular |
Plural |
weasel (plural weasels)
- The least weasel, (Mustela nivalis)
- Any of the carnivorous mammals of the genus Mustela, having a slender body, a long tail and usually a light brown upper coat and light-coloured belly.
- The taxonomic family Mustelidae is also called the weasel family.
- A devious or sneaky person or animal.
- A type of yarn winder used for counting the yardage of handspun yarn. It most commonly has a wooden peg or dowel that pops up from the gearing mechanism after a certain number of yards have been wound onto the winder.
[edit] Derived terms
[edit] Translations
least weasel, Mustela nivalis
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any mammal of the genus Mustela
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any mammal of the family Mustelidae
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- The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables, removing any numbers. Numbers do not necessarily match those in definitions. See instructions at Help:How to check translations.
Translations to be checked
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[edit] Verb
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Infinitive |
Third person singular |
Present participle |
to weasel (third-person singular simple present weasels, present participle weaseling or weaselling, simple past and past participle weaseled or weaselled)
- To benefit by clever or devious means, esp. to escape a commitment (from the supposed cunningness of the weasel).
- To weasel out of doing something
- To weasel something out of somebody
[edit] Usage notes
- Weaseling and weaseled are more common in the US. Weaselling and weaselled are more common in the UK.
[edit] Translations
to weasel out of doing something
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