Definition of WEASEL

weasel

Meanings

Plural: weasels

Noun

  • a person who is regarded as treacherous or sneaky
  • small carnivorous mammal with short legs and elongated body and neck
  • 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.
  • A least weasel (Mustela nivalis).
  • Any of certain other species of the family Mustelidae.
  • A devious or sneaky person or animal.
  • 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

  • To achieve by clever or devious means.
  • To gain something for oneself by clever or devious means.
  • To engage in clever or devious behavior.

Origin / Etymology

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.

Synonyms

mustela

Scrabble Score: 9

weasel is a valid Scrabble (US) TWL word
weasel is a valid Scrabble Word in Merriam-Webster MW Dictionary
weasel is a valid Scrabble Word in International Collins CSW Dictionary

Words With Friends Score: 10

weasel is a valid Words With Friends word