weasel

noun

• 1a small, slender carnivorous mammal related to, but smaller than, the stoat.

  • Genus Mustela, family Mustelidae (the weasel family): several species, in particular M. nivalis of northern Eurasia and northern North America. The family also includes the polecats, minks, martens, skunks, wolverine, otters, and badgers
• Irish term for stoat.

• 2a deceitful or treacherous person: he was a double-crossing weasel

verb (weasels, weaselling, weaselled; US weasels, weaseling, weaseled)

• achieve something by use of cunning or deceit:she suspects me of trying to weasel my way into his affections
• chiefly North American behave or talk evasively: we needed him to take a firm stand, but he weaselled