polecat
[ pohl-kat ]
/ ˈpoʊlˌkæt /
noun, plural pole·cats, (especially collectively) pole·cat.
a European mammal, Mustela putorius, of the weasel family, having a blackish fur and ejecting a fetid fluid when attacked or disturbed.
Compare ferret1(def 1).
any of various North American skunks.
Origin of polecat
1275–1325; Middle English
polcat, perhaps equivalent to Middle French
pol, poul chicken (< Latin
pullus) +
cat1
Words nearby polecat
pole vault,
pole-jump,
pole-vault,
poleax,
poleaxe,
polecat,
poleis,
polemarch,
polemic,
polemicize,
polemics
Example sentences from the Web for polecat
British Dictionary definitions for polecat
polecat
/ (ˈpəʊlˌkæt) /
noun plural -cats or -cat
Also called (formerly): foumart
a dark brown musteline mammal, Mustela putorius, of woodlands of Europe, Asia, and N Africa, that is closely related to but larger than the weasel and gives off an unpleasant smell
See also sweet marten
any of various related animals, such as the marbled polecat, Vormela peregusna
US a nontechnical name for skunk (def. 1)
Word Origin for polecat
C14
polcat, perhaps from Old French
pol cock, from Latin
pullus, +
cat
1; from its habit of preying on poultry