pole·cat

(pōl′kăt′)

a. A chiefly nocturnal mustelid mammal (Mustela putorius) of Europe that ejects a malodorous fluid to mark its territory and defend itself from predators. Also called fitch.

b. Either of two similar mammals, Mustela eversmanii of the Central Asian steppes, having a light brown coat with a black mask, or Vormela peregusna of Eurasia, having a mottled yellow and brown coat.

2. See skunk.

[Middle English polcat : possibly Old French poll, poule, fowl, hen; see pullet + Middle English cat, cat; see cat.]

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

polecat

(ˈpəʊlˌkæt)

n, pl -cats or -cat

1. (Animals) Also called (formerly): foumart or foulmart a dark brown musteline mammal, Mustela putorius, of woodlands of Europe, Asia, and N Africa, that is closely related to but larger than the weasel and gives off an unpleasant smell. See also sweet marten

2. (Animals) any of various related animals, such as the marbled polecat,Vormela peregusna

3. (Animals) US a nontechnical name for skunk¹

[C14 polcat, perhaps from Old French pol cock, from Latin pullus, + cat¹; from its habit of preying on poultry]

Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014

pole•cat

(ˈpoʊlˌkæt)

n., pl. -cats, (esp. collectively) -cat.

1. a European weasel, Mustela putorius, having blackish fur and ejecting a fetid fluid when attacked or disturbed. Compare ferret ¹ (def. 1).

2. any of various North American skunks.

[1275–1325; Middle English polcat, perhaps = Middle French pol, poul chicken (< Latin pullus) + cat]

Polecat

Polecat is the common name for a weasel-like carnivore, but colloquially it referred to a skunk.

ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:

Noun	1.	polecat - American musteline mammal typically ejecting an intensely malodorous fluid when startled; in some classifications put in a separate subfamily Mephitinae wood pussy, skunk mustelid, musteline, musteline mammal - fissiped fur-bearing carnivorous mammals Mephitis mephitis, striped skunk - most common and widespread North American skunk hooded skunk, Mephitis macroura - of Mexico and southernmost parts of southwestern United States badger skunk, Conepatus leuconotus, hognosed skunk, hog-nosed skunk, rooter skunk - large naked-muzzled skunk with white back and tail; of southwestern North America and Mexico little spotted skunk, Spilogale putorius, spotted skunk - small skunk with a marbled black and white coat; of United States and Mexico
	2.	polecat - dark brown mustelid of woodlands of Eurasia that gives off an unpleasant odor when threatened fitch, foulmart, foumart, Mustela putorius mustelid, musteline, musteline mammal - fissiped fur-bearing carnivorous mammals genus Mustela, Mustela - type genus of the family Mustelidae: minks and weasels ferret - domesticated albino variety of the European polecat bred for hunting rats and rabbits

Translations

شَخْص دَنيء ، شيء قذرفأر خَيْل، إبْن عِرْس

tchořskunk

ilderskunk

Iltis Stinktier

βρωμοκούναβο οζοϊκτίς

turón

hilleri

putois mouffette

tvor

görényszkunksz

òefvísla, illirskunkur

puzzola

mustella

šeškasskunkas

sesksskunkss

tchor

dihur

iller

kokarca sansar

臭鼬鸡貂

polecat

[ˈpəʊlkæt] N (polecats or polecat (pl)) (Brit) → turón m (US) → mofeta f

Collins Spanish Dictionary - Complete and Unabridged 8th Edition 2005 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1971, 1988 © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2005

polecat

[ˈpəʊlkæt] n → putois m

Collins English/French Electronic Resource. © HarperCollins Publishers 2005

polecat

[ˈpəʊlˌkæt] n (Brit) → puzzola (Am) → moffetta

Collins Italian Dictionary 1st Edition © HarperCollins Publishers 1995

polecat

(ˈpəulkat) noun

1. a kind of large weasel.

2. (American) a skunk.

Mentioned in

References in classic literature

This commissary was a man of very repulsive mien, with a pointed nose, with yellow and salient cheek bones, with eyes small but keen and penetrating, and an expression of countenance resembling at once the polecat and the fox.

View in context

In general appearance, the Zorillo resembles a polecat, but it is rather larger, and much thicker in proportion.

View in context

This guide was our friend Peppino, who dashed into the thicket of high weeds, through a path which none but lizards or polecats could have imagined to be an open road.

View in context

Look at the Mustela vison of North America, which has webbed feet and which resembles an otter in its fur, short legs, and form of tail; during summer this animal dives for and preys on fish, but during the long winter it leaves the frozen waters, and preys like other polecats on mice and land animals.

View in context

Performances throughout the day will feature Lincoln re-enactor Randy Duncan, the "Professor Farquhar & Polecat Annie Medicine Show," and the Kahok Dancers.

Grande Levee at Vandalia is set for June 15-16

Kosiv Painting Style (silver, face value - 10 hryvnias; nickel silver, face value - 5 hryvnias), designers: Volodymyr Taran, Oleksandr Kharuk, Serhii Kharuk; engraver: Volodymyr Atamanchuk (16.45%); The Wheel of Life (silver, face value - 10 hryvnias), designers: Volodymyr Taran, Oleksandr Kharuk, Serhii Kharuk; engraver: Volodymyr Demianenko; computer-aided design by Vitalii Andriianov (12.24%); and The Marbled Polecat (silver, face value - 10 hryvnias; nickel silver, face value - 2 hryvnias), designers: Volodymyr Demianenko, Nataliia Fandikova; engravers: Volodymyr Demianenko, Sviatoslav Ivanenko (9.72%).

NBU decides on finalists of competition

Atlanta, GA, February 19, 2018 --(PR.com)-- Parents and grandparents of young readers aged 9-12 will welcome this newest edition of Uncle PoleCat and his cyber adventures.

Atlanta Area Author Releases Third Kids' Adventure Book

Other old swear words include "polecat" meaning a lewd woman and "cucumber", which was another word for a cuckold.

Long-lost swear words revealed!

The project established by The Vincent Wildlife Trust (VWT), has secured PS200,000 from Woodland Trust, People's Trust for Endangered Species (PTES), POLECAT and PS100,000 from Chester Zoo - a proportion of PS800,000 match funding needed to finance the project.

Welsh population of elusive pine martens to get a boost

And seeking assistance to evict a polecat above a ceiling in the U.S.

Embassies not there to handle absurd requests

Lack of sleep, the desert, Indians, Cuskin's polecat kin, thirst and exhaustion make it ever more likely that Ryan's mission will end in failure.

Gallows Bound

Derived from the European Polecat, their domestication can be traced back several thousand years for the hunting of rabbits and also for the control of rodents around farms and ships.

IF there is one pet [...]; corner vets