What does "polecat" mean?
A weasel-like animal of the genus Mustela.
Polecat
/ˈpoʊlˌkæt/ noun
noun ·Moderate ·College level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: A weasel-like animal of the genus Mustela.
- Grammar: polecat is listed as noun.
- Nearest alternatives: mustela putorius, animal, antelope, ape.
- Useful contrasts: honest man, saint, wild polecat.
- Usage evidence: The European polecat is sometimes called a skunk because it emits a skunk-like odor when threatened or during courtship.
How to use "polecat"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "polecat" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "polecat" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "polecat" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "polecat" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "polecat" is acting as noun in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "mustela putorius" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "polecat", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 A weasel-like animal of the genus Mustela.
- 2 dark brown mustelid of woodlands of Eurasia that gives off an unpleasant odor when threatened wordnet
- 3 A weasel-like animal of the genus Mustela.; notably, the European polecat, Mustela putorius.
"For a long time the dormouse and polecat had seemed to him overfeeble enemies for his restless valour, even as the granary floor seemed to afford too narrow a field. Every day he read the papers of the previous day in the servants' hall of the houses he visited, and it appeared to him that this war in America, which was hailed as the awakening of the spirit of liberty and justice in the New World, ought to produce a revolution in France."
- 4 American musteline mammal typically ejecting an intensely malodorous fluid when startled; in some classifications put in a separate subfamily Mephitinae wordnet
- 5 A skunk. Appalachia, Texas
Show 1 more definition
- 6 A tubular device used to support lights on a set.
"This is adjustable telescopic tubing, wedged securely between floor and ceiling (vertical pole) or wall-to-wall (horizontal pole), within corridors, arches, window openings, doorways, etc. It may be held in position by a strong internal spring or end-screws. Designs include polecat, varipole, barricuda, jack tube, Acrow."
Antonyms
Example
"The European polecat is sometimes called a skunk because it emits a skunk-like odor when threatened or during courtship."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "polecat"?
Common synonyms include: mustela putorius, animal, antelope, ape, armadillo, bar.
How do you use "polecat" in a sentence?
The European polecat is sometimes called a skunk because it emits a skunk-like odor when threatened or during courtship.
How do you pronounce "polecat"?
Pronounced /ˈpoʊlˌkæt/.
Etymology
From Middle English polcat, pulkat, of uncertain origin. Perhaps from Middle English *pole, *poule (“hen”), from Old French poule (“hen”) + Middle English cat. Compare English foulmart.