weasel

 
Pronunciation: /ˈwiːz(ə)l/

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)

[no object]
  • 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

Phrases

weasel words

words or statements that are intentionally ambiguous or misleading.

Derivatives

weaselly

adjective

Origin:

Old English wesle, wesule, of West Germanic origin; related to Dutch wezel and German Wiesel