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

Illustration of black-footed ferret

Illustration of black-footed ferret

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

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