ferret
noun · verb
Simple meaning
An often domesticated mammal rather like a weasel, descended from the polecat and often trained to hunt burrowing animals.
Pronunciation
Say it like this:
fehruhtSay the bold part a little louder.
IPA pronunciation (US)
ˈfɛɹət
This word is pronounced essentially the same in American and British English, so one transcription covers both.
IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) is a standard way of writing speech sounds.
Definition
Everyday modern meanings first, grouped by part of speech.
noun
An often domesticated mammal (Mustela putorius furo) rather like a weasel, descended from the polecat and often trained to hunt burrowing animals.
Domesticated albino variety of the European polecat bred for hunting rats and rabbits
figurative
A diligent searcher.
A black-footed ferret (Mustela nigripes).
Musteline mammal of prairie regions of United States; nearly extinct
verb
by extensionambitransitive
To uncover and bring to light by searching; usually to ferret out.
To hunt game with ferrets.
Word at a Glance
- Frequency
- Uncommon
- Typical Use
- Neutral / general English
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Common Patterns and Combinations
How this word naturally appears with others.
Word Family
Related forms, grouped by how they connect.
Compound terms
Established multiword terms.
Small ferret-like badger of southeast Asia.
Search and discover through persistent investigation.
Musteline mammal of prairie regions of United States.
More about this wordSynonyms, forms, origin
Synonyms
Sense: to uncover and bring to light by searching
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