polecat

noun

pole·​cat ˈpōl-ˌkat How to pronounce polecat (audio)
plural polecats or polecat
1
: any of several carnivorous mammals (as of the genera Mustela or Vormela) of the weasel family
especially : a brown to black European mammal (M. putorius) from which the domesticated ferret is derived
2
: skunk

Examples of polecat in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web If there are fewer small mammals, there is less food for their natural predators, such as red foxes, steppe polecats, upland buzzards, brown bears and mountain weasels. Melissa Breyer, Treehugger, 24 May 2023 As with the rest of the car, the face reflects sublimated aggression, as if the polecat has eaten the canary. Ronald Ahrens, Robb Report, 3 Mar. 2022 Unlike a poison frog or a spraying polecat, this rodent has no chemical weapons to defend itself. Elizabeth Preston, Discover Magazine, 20 Feb. 2015 Iltis is the German word for a polecat, Mustela putorius, a forest-dwelling European mammal that's like a weasel, minus the charisma. Brendan McAleer, Car and Driver, 2 Oct. 2022 Two bobcats in Wisconsin, a coyote pup in Michigan and skunks in Canada have also tested positive for the virus, as have foxes, otters, a lynx, a polecat and a badger in Europe. New York Times, 18 June 2022 Stereoscopic souvenir cards show a faux mountainside crammed like a Victorian what-not shelf with deer, goats, polecats, and raptors. Susan Tallman, The New York Review of Books, 10 Mar. 2020 Stoat – Related to weasels, polecats and ferrets, the stoat is a small but ferocious predator. Sarah Lazarus, CNN, 26 Dec. 2019 Because Wajid Ali Shah had hundreds of wives and concubines, people identifying themselves as descendants are all over the place in Lucknow, fighting like polecats over the veracity of one another’s claims. Ellen Barry, New York Times, 22 Nov. 2019

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'polecat.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Middle English polcat, probably from Middle French poul, pol cock + Middle English cat; probably from its preying on poultry — more at pullet

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of polecat was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near polecat

Cite this Entry

“Polecat.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/polecat. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

polecat

noun
pole·​cat ˈpōl-ˌkat How to pronounce polecat (audio)
plural polecats or polecat
1
: a brown to black European flesh-eating mammal related to the weasels
2
Etymology

Middle English polcat "polecat," probably from early French pol, poul "cock" and Middle English cat "cat, a small animal"

Word Origin
A polecat is not a cat at all, and its name has nothing to do with poles. The European polecat looks like a large weasel with a bandit's mask of darker fur around its eyes. The polecat has long been known as a killer of poultry, and its name reflects its reputation. Polecat was spelled polcat in Middle English. This word was probably formed from pol or poul, the early French word for "cock," and the Middle English word cat. During the Middle English period people often gave the name cat to small animals, like the polecat, that looked something like the ordinary house cat.

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