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Webster 1913 Edition

Weasel

Wea′sel

,
Noun.
[OE.
wesele
, AS.
wesle
; akin to D.
wezel
, G.
wiesel
, OHG.
wisala
, Icel. hreyi
vīsla
, Dan.
väsel
, Sw.
vessla
; of uncertain origin; cf. Gr. [GREEK], [GREEK], cat, weasel.]
(Zool.)
Any one of various species of small carnivores belonging to the genus
Putorius
, as the ermine and ferret. They have a slender, elongated body, and are noted for the quickness of their movements and for their bloodthirsty habit in destroying poultry, rats, etc. The ermine and some other species are brown in summer, and turn white in winter; others are brown at all seasons.
Malacca weasel
,
the rasse.
–
Weasel coot
,
a female or young male of the smew; – so called from the resemblance of the head to that of a weasel. Called also
weasel duck
.
–
Weasel lemur
,
a short-tailed lemur (
Lepilemur mustelinus
). It is reddish brown above, grayish brown below, with the throat white.

Webster 1828 Edition

Weasel

WEASEL

, WEESEL,
Noun.
s as z. A small animal of the genus Mustela, which lives under the roots of trees, or in other holes, and feeds on small birds, but particularly on mice. A weasel that frequents barns and corn-houses, frees them from rats and mice, and is sometimes deemed a very useful inmate.

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