musteline

mus·te·line  (mst-ln, -ln)

adj.

Of, relating to, or belonging to the Mustelidae, the family of fur-bearing mammals that includes the badger, mink, otter, and weasel.

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[Latin mstlnus, of a weasel, from mstla, weasel, probably from ms, mouse; see ms- in Indo-European roots.]

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musteline [ˈmʌstɪˌlaɪn -lɪn]

adj

(Life Sciences & Allied Applications / Animals) of, relating to, or belonging to the Mustelidae, a family of typically predatory mammals including weasels, ferrets, minks, polecats, badgers, skunks, and otters: order Carnivora (carnivores)

n

(Life Sciences & Allied Applications / Animals) any musteline animal

[from Latin mustēlīnus, from mustēla weasel, from mūs mouse + -tēla, of unknown origin]

Thesaurus

Noun

1.

musteline - fissiped fur-bearing carnivorous mammals mustelid, musteline mammal carnivore - a terrestrial or aquatic flesh-eating mammal; "terrestrial carnivores have four or five clawed digits on each limb" family Mustelidae, Mustelidae - weasels; polecats; ferrets; minks; fishers; otters; badgers; skunks; wolverines; martens weasel - small carnivorous mammal with short legs and elongated body and neck mink - slender-bodied semiaquatic mammal having partially webbed feet; valued for its fur fitch, foulmart, foumart, Mustela putorius, polecat - dark brown mustelid of woodlands of Eurasia that gives off an unpleasant odor when threatened black-footed ferret, ferret, Mustela nigripes - musteline mammal of prairie regions of United States; nearly extinct otter - freshwater carnivorous mammal having webbed and clawed feet and dark brown fur Enhydra lutris, sea otter - large marine otter of northern Pacific coasts having very thick dark brown fur polecat, wood pussy, skunk - American musteline mammal typically ejecting an intensely malodorous fluid when startled; in some classifications put in a separate subfamily Mephitinae badger - sturdy carnivorous burrowing mammal with strong claws; widely distributed in the northern hemisphere honey badger, Mellivora capensis, ratel - nocturnal badger-like carnivore of wooded regions of Africa and southern Asia carcajou, Gulo luscus, skunk bear, wolverine - stocky shaggy-coated North American carnivorous mammal Gulo gulo, wolverine, glutton - musteline mammal of northern Eurasia Galictis vittatus, grison, Grison vittatus - carnivore of Central America and South America resembling a weasel with a greyish-white back and dark underparts marten, marten cat - agile slender-bodied arboreal mustelids somewhat larger than weasels Eira barbara, taira, tayra - long-tailed arboreal mustelid of Central America and South America