mink
Americannoun
plural
minks,plural
mink-
a semiaquatic weasellike animal of the genus Mustela, especially the North American M. vison.
-
the fur of this animal, brownish in the natural state and having lustrous outside hairs and a thick, soft undercoat.
-
a coat, stole, etc., made of this fur.
noun
-
any of several semiaquatic musteline mammals of the genus Mustela, of Europe, Asia, and North America, having slightly webbed feet
-
the highly valued fur of these animals, esp that of the American mink ( M. vison )
-
a garment made of this, esp a woman's coat or stole
Etymology
Origin of mink
1425–75; late Middle English, of uncertain origin
Compare meaning
How does mink compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:
Explanation
A mink is a small, furry animal that's similar to a stoat or a weasel. Minks are prized for their soft pelts, which are often made into fur coats. If you are on your way to an animal rights event, leave your mink coat in the closet. You can use the noun mink to talk about the wild animal itself, which is not only hunted for its fur but also raised on farms, or to describe the wildly expensive coat made from the skin of many minks. A mink is the sort of warm fur coat you'd most likely see on a wealthy city dweller. The origin of mink is Scandinavian, related to the Swedish word menk, literally "a stinking animal in Finland."
Vocabulary lists containing mink
Amazing Animals, A-Z
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Amazing Animals, List 2
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Charlie and the Chocolate Factory
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
But she faced a barrage of criticism over her handling of the "mink crisis" in November 2020.
From Barron's • Mar. 25, 2026
In 2020, it ordered the culling of all roughly 17 million farm-raised mink in Denmark to stop the spread of a coronavirus mutation, a directive it later admitted had no legal grounds.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 19, 2026
The act banned the use of dogs to hunt wild mammals - including foxes, hares, deer and mink - across England and Wales.
From BBC • Dec. 26, 2024
Furthermore, he said that the transmission rate the team observed in the mink virus is lower than is typical for pandemic influenza viruses.
From Science Daily • May 15, 2024
"I can't imagine what became of my silver cross," she said, fingering the gold-link necklace under her mink stole as she paused to appraise the big house.
From "The Westing Game" by Ellen Raskin
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
