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wea·sel

(wēzəl)

1. Any of various carnivorous mammals of the genus Mustela, having a long slender body, a long tail, short legs, and brownish fur that in many species turns white in winter.

2. A person regarded as sneaky or treacherous.

intr.v. wea·seled, wea·sel·ing, wea·sels also wea·selled or wea·sel·ling

To be evasive; equivocate.

Phrasal Verb:

weasel out Informal

To back out of a situation or commitment in a sneaky or cowardly manner.

[Middle English wesele, from Old English wesle.]

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weasel

ermine in brown summer phase

Mustela erminea

Indo-European & Semitic Roots Appendices

Thousands of entries in the dictionary include etymologies that trace their origins back to reconstructed proto-languages. You can obtain more information about these forms in our online appendices:

Indo-European Roots

Semitic Roots

The Indo-European appendix covers nearly half of the Indo-European roots that have left their mark on English words. A more complete treatment of Indo-European roots and the English words derived from them is available in our Dictionary of Indo-European Roots.

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