ferret

Meaning

Noun

1. An often domesticated mammal (Mustela putorius furo) rather like a weasel, descended from the polecat and often trained to hunt burrowing animals.
2. A black-footed ferret (Mustela nigripes).
3. (figuratively) A diligent searcher.

Verb

1. To hunt game with ferrets.
2. (ambitransitive, broadly) To uncover and bring to light by searching; usually to ferret out.

Synonyms

polecat

black-footed ferret

weasel

ferret out

mink

snoop

stoat

pry

Mustela nigripes

comb

devil

dig

dig out

dun

eat

🍽️

ermine

fitch

fitchew

fret

get to

harry

hassle

investigate

look round

marten

martial

nose

👃

pester

plague

rankle

rummage

sleuth

snuff

snuffle

tease

unearth

vex

bring to light

stone marten

research

tayra

to ferret away

to ferret out

search

to go ferreting

afflict

ail

badger

🦡

beleaguer

beset

Translations

Frettchen

hurón

furet

furetto

fura

fret

κουνάβι

furão

Eira barbara

νυφίτσα

aufspüren

furó

fura

furăo

Pronounced as (IPA)

/ˈfɛɹɪt/

Etymology

Inherited from Middle English: furet

In summary

From Middle English furet, ferret, from Old French furet, from Vulgar Latin *furittum (“weasel, ferret”), diminutive of Latin fūr (“thief”).