weasel

wea·sel

 (wē′zəl)

n.

1. Any of various carnivorous mammals of the genus Mustela, having a long slender body, a long tail, short legs, and brownish fur that in many species turns white in winter.

2. A person regarded as sneaky or treacherous.

intr.v. wea·seled, wea·sel·ing, wea·sels also wea·selled or wea·sel·ling

To be evasive; equivocate.

Phrasal Verb:

weasel out Informal

To back out of a situation or commitment in a sneaky or cowardly manner.

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[Middle English wesele, from Old English wesle.]

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.

weasel

(ˈwiːzəl)

n, pl -sels or -sel

1. (Animals) any of various small predatory musteline mammals of the genus Mustela and related genera, esp M. nivalis (European weasel), having reddish-brown fur, an elongated body and neck, and short legs

2. informal a sly or treacherous person

3. (Automotive Engineering) chiefly US a motor vehicle for use in snow, esp one with caterpillar tracks

[Old English weosule, wesle; related to Old Norse visla, Old High German wisula, Middle Dutch wesel]

ˈweaselly adj

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

wea•sel

(ˈwi zəl)

n., pl. -sels, (esp. collectively) -sel, n.

1. any small carnivore of the genus Mustela, of the family Mustelidae, having a long, slender body and feeding chiefly on small rodents and birds: includes ferrets, stoats, minks, and ermines.

2. any of various similar carnivores of the family Mustelidae.

3. a cunning, sneaky person.

v.i.

4. to evade an obligation, duty, or the like; renege (often fol. by out).

5. to use weasel words; be ambiguous; mislead.

[before 900; Middle English wesele, Old English wesle, weosule, c. Old High German wisula]

wea′sel•ly, adj.

Random House Kernerman Webster's College Dictionary, © 2010 K Dictionaries Ltd. Copyright 2005, 1997, 1991 by Random House, Inc. All rights reserved.

weasel

Past participle: weaselled
Gerund: weaselling

Imperative

weasel

weasel

Collins English Verb Tables © HarperCollins Publishers 2011

Thesaurus

Noun	1.	weasel - a person who is regarded as treacherous or sneaky individual, mortal, person, somebody, someone, soul - a human being; "there was too much for one person to do"
	2.	weasel - small carnivorous mammal with short legs and elongated body and neck mustelid, musteline, musteline mammal - fissiped fur-bearing carnivorous mammals genus Mustela, Mustela - type genus of the family Mustelidae: minks and weasels Mustela erminea, shorttail weasel, ermine - mustelid of northern hemisphere in its white winter coat Mustela rixosa, New World least weasel - of Canada and northeastern United States Mustela nivalis, Old World least weasel - of Europe longtail weasel, long-tailed weasel, Mustela frenata - the common American weasel distinguished by large size and black-tipped tail muishond - southern African weasel

Based on WordNet 3.0, Farlex clipart collection. © 2003-2012 Princeton University, Farlex Inc.

weasel

noun

Related words
adjective musteline
male whittret

Collins Thesaurus of the English Language – Complete and Unabridged 2nd Edition. 2002 © HarperCollins Publishers 1995, 2002

weasel

noun

One who behaves in a stealthy, furtive way:

prowler, sneak, sneaker.

verb

To use evasive or deliberately vague language:

equivocate, euphemize, hedge, shuffle, tergiversate.

Informal: pussyfoot, waffle.

Idioms: beat about the bush, mince words.

The American Heritage® Roget's Thesaurus. Copyright © 2013, 2014 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

Translations

اِبْنُ عِرْسسُرْعوب: إبْن عِرْس

lasice

væselbæltekøretøjbrud

Wiesel

νυφίτσακουνάβι

vizelo

comadreja

nirk

lumikkonäätäeläinkärppä

belette

lasica

lánctalpas jármûmenyét

hreysiköttur, vísla

donnola

イタチ飯綱

족제비

vikšrinis visureigisžebenkštis

zebieksteapvidus mašina

wezel

beltebilrøyskatt

łasica

doninha

ласка

lasicaratrak

vessla

อีเห็น

gelincigelincik

con chồn

黄鼠狼

weasel

[ˈwiːzl]

A. N (weasel or weasels (pl))

1. (Zool) → comadreja f

2. (= person) → zorro/a m/f

B. VI to weasel out of sth (= extricate o.s.) → escabullirse de algo

C. CPD weasel words NPL → ambages mpl, palabras fpl equívocas

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

weasel

[ˈwiːz^əl] n → belette f

Collins English/French Electronic Resource. © HarperCollins Publishers 2005

weasel

n

→ Wiesel nt

(inf: = person) → Heimtücker m

vi (esp US inf: = be evasive) → schwafeln (inf)

Collins German Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged 7th Edition 2005. © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1980 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1997, 1999, 2004, 2005, 2007

weasel

[ˈwiːzl] n (Zool) → donnola

Collins Italian Dictionary 1st Edition © HarperCollins Publishers 1995

weasel

(ˈwiːzl) noun

a type of small flesh-eating animal with a long slender body. wesel سُرْعوب: إبْن عِرْس невестулка doninha lasice das Wiesel væsel νυφίτσαcomadreja nirk سمور lumikko beletteסמור कथियान्याल lasica menyét sebangsa musang hreysiköttur, vísla donnola いたち 족제비 žebenkštis zebiekste cerpelai wezelrøyskattłasica doninha nevăstuică ласка lasica podlasica lasica vessla พังพอน gelinci 黃鼠狼 ласиця نیولا con chồn 黄鼠狼

Kernerman English Multilingual Dictionary © 2006-2013 K Dictionaries Ltd.

weasel

→ اِبْنُ عِرْس lasice væsel Wiesel κουνάβι comadreja lumikko belette lasica donnola イタチ 족제비 wezel røyskatt łasica doninha ласка vessla อีเห็น gelincik con chồn 黄鼠狼

Multilingual Translator © HarperCollins Publishers 2009