Refine this word faster

Stronger alternatives Opposite tone Use in context Cross-language nuance

Weasel

//ˈwiːz(ə)l// noun, verb, slang

Definitions

Noun
  1. 1
    Any of the carnivorous mammals of the genera Mustela, Neogale, Poecilogale, and Lyncodon, having a slender body, a long tail and usually a light brown upper coat and light-coloured belly.

    "An old traditional prescription for provoking erotic inclinations ran as follows, The toe of the foot of a man, anointed with oil, or honey, or the ashes of a weasel."

  2. 2
    small carnivorous mammal with short legs and elongated body and neck wordnet
  3. 3
    A least weasel (Mustela nivalis).
  4. 4
    a person who is regarded as treacherous or sneaky wordnet
  5. 5
    Any of certain other species of the family Mustelidae.
Show 2 more definitions
  1. 6
    A devious or sneaky person or animal. derogatory, informal

    "Once you've gone beyond the scripted speeches, soundbites and cliches, you'll notice how the debate about leadership is primarily divided between the three governors and two senators, the other two weasels, Donald Trump and Ben Carson notwithstanding."

  2. 7
    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.
Verb
  1. 1
    To achieve by clever or devious means. transitive

    "Prisoners are notorious for weaseling day passes to get out of lockup […] ."

  2. 2
    To gain something for oneself by clever or devious means. reflexive, transitive

    "He's weaseled himself into a position where he can influence the outcome of this election."

  3. 3
    To engage in clever or devious behavior. intransitive

    "Authority figures have a history of weaseling on this topic."

Etymology

Etymology 1

From Middle English wesele, from Old English weosule, from Proto-West Germanic *wisulā, from Proto-Germanic *wisulǭ. The verb is from c. 1900, from the supposed cunningness of the weasel.

Etymology 2

From Middle English wesele, from Old English weosule, from Proto-West Germanic *wisulā, from Proto-Germanic *wisulǭ. The verb is from c. 1900, from the supposed cunningness of the weasel.

See also for "weasel"

Synonyms Antonyms Rhymes Sentences Translate Word Type Pronunciation Word Forms

Next best steps

Find stronger synonymsSee usage examplesCheck pronunciation

Mini challenge

Unscramble this word: weasel