weasel

American  

[wee-zuhl] / ˈwi zəl /

noun

plural

weasels,

plural

weasel

1. any small carnivore of the genus Mustela, of the family Mustelidae, having a long, slender body and feeding chiefly on small rodents.

2. any of various similar animals of the family Mustelidae.

3. a cunning, sneaky person.

4. a tracked vehicle resembling a tractor, used in snow.

5. Slang. an informer; stool pigeon.

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verb (used without object)

1. to evade an obligation, duty, or the like; renege (often followed byout ).

   That's one invitation I'd like to weasel out of.

2. to use weasel words; be ambiguous; mislead.

   Upon cross-examination the witness began to weasel.

3. Slang. to inform.

weasel British  

/ ˈwiːzəl /

noun

1. any of various small predatory musteline mammals of the genus Mustela and related genera, esp M. nivalis ( European weasel ), having reddish-brown fur, an elongated body and neck, and short legs

2. informal a sly or treacherous person

3. a motor vehicle for use in snow, esp one with caterpillar tracks

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Other Word Forms

• weaselly adjective

Etymology

Origin of weasel

before 900; 1920–25 weasel for def. 6; Middle English wesele, Old English wesle, weosule; cognate with Old High German wisula, German Wiesel

Explanation

A weasel is a sneaky and sly person. Your weasel of a friend has a habit of "forgetting" his wallet every time he goes out to dinner with you. You can call someone who cheats and lies a weasel, or you can use the word literally, to refer to the small furry mammal called a weasel. The furry kind of weasel is known for its short legs, long neck, and musky smell. In fact, the word's Proto-Germanic origin wisand carries the meaning of a stinky animal. The verb weasel means to sneak or evade, like when you weasel out of doing the dishes.

Example Sentences

"He's a weasel of a man because every time he's confronted, he becomes sick or says one of his family members has died," says Marns, who now lives in Dubai.

From BBC • Apr. 24, 2026

“But when universities do the same thing by trying to weasel out of their contracts, it’s equally corrosive.”

From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 24, 2025

Lacking Spotify, they decided to pass the time by undertaking “an enumeration and actual count” of road-killed animals—a battered weasel here, a flattened garter snake there.

From Slate • May 25, 2024

Wolverines resemble diminutive bears but are actually the largest members of the weasel family, weighing up to 40 pounds.

From Los Angeles Times • May 17, 2024

He made no attempt to run, but the weasel, its hunger satisfied, left him alone and made off through the bushes.

From "Watership Down: A Novel" by Richard Adams