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black-footed ferret
noun
: a rare weasel (Mustela nigripes) of western North American prairies having a yellowish coat, dark feet and facial mask, and a dark-tipped tail
Examples of black-footed ferret in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
This sample was from a black-footed ferret that had no surviving offspring, meaning that many of her genes are genetically diverse from those in the rest of the species.
—Ron Amadeo, Ars Technica, 4 Oct. 2023
His quarry are the region’s black-footed ferrets, considered by many to be North America’s most endangered mammal.
—Katherine J. Wu, The Atlantic, 15 June 2023
Visitors to this park may be lucky enough to spot bighorn sheep, prairie dogs, bison, and black-footed ferrets.
—Josh Laskin, Travel + Leisure, 1 Sep. 2023
There are several endangered species that still live on the land, including the black-footed ferret, as well as wolves and grizzly bears.
—Emma Reynolds, Robb Report, 2 Jan. 2024
Those species include our own California condor, our black-footed ferret, and our Guam rail, as well as the Arabian oryx, the Przewalski’s horse, and the Père David’s deer.
—Jared Diamond, Discover Magazine, 11 Nov. 2019
In the early 1900s, black-footed ferrets burrowed throughout the American West, according to Pete Gober, the Fish and Wildlife Service's national black-footed ferret recovery coordinator.
—Sabrina Imbler New York Times, Star Tribune, 18 Feb. 2021
Meanwhile, a seemingly apolitical project at the National Wildlife Health Center in Madison, Wisconsin, to study the impacts of the virus on the endangered black-footed ferret was shuttered last month.
—Eve Sneider, Wired, 9 Oct. 2020
Just 200 black-footed ferrets, more than half of the world’s remaining population, are left in Conata Basin and the surrounding Badlands National Park.
—Katherine J. Wu, The Atlantic, 15 June 2023
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'black-footed ferret.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
First Known Use
1846, in the meaning defined above
Time Traveler
The first known use of black-footed ferret was
in 1846
Dictionary Entries Near black-footed ferret
Cite this Entry
“Black-footed ferret.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/black-footed%20ferret. Accessed 29 Mar. 2024.
Kids Definition
black-footed ferret
noun
black-foot·ed ferret
ˈblak-ˌfu̇t-əd-
: an endangered weasel of western North American prairies having a yellowish coat, black feet and face markings, and a black-tipped tail
More from Merriam-Webster on black-footed ferret
Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about black-footed ferret
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