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ferret

From Wiktionary, the free dictionary

English

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ferrets (Mustela putorius furo)

Pronunciation

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Etymology 1

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FromMiddle Englishfuret,ferret, fromOld Frenchfuret, fromVulgar Latin*furittum(“weasel, ferret”), diminutive ofLatinfūr(“thief”).

Noun

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ferret (pluralferrets)

  1. An often domesticatedmammal (Mustela putorius furo) rather like aweasel, descended from thepolecat and often trained tohuntburrowing animals.
  2. Ablack-footed ferret (Mustela nigripes).
  3. (figurative) Adiligentsearcher.
    • 1998 July 2,Charles Nicholl, “Screaming in the Castle”, inLondon Review of Books, volume XX, number13:
      The most challenging documentary discoveries were made by a tenacious archivalferret, Dr Antonio Bertoletti. In 1879 he published his findings in a slim, refreshingly dry volume,Francesco Cenci e la sua Famiglia.
Derived terms
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Related terms
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Translations
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the mammalMustela putorius furo

Verb

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ferret (third-person singular simple presentferrets,present participleferreting,simple past and past participleferreted)

  1. To huntgame with ferrets.
  2. (by extension,ambitransitive) Touncover and bring tolight bysearching; usually toferret out.
    • 1599 (date written),William Shakespeare, “The Life of Henry the Fift”, inMr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London:[…]Isaac Iaggard, andEd[ward] Blount, published1623,→OCLC,[Act IV, scene iv]:
      Master Fer! I'll fer him, and firk him, andferret him.
    • 1859, Charles Dickens,A Tale of Two Cities:
      I confess that we were so unpopular with the outrageous mob, that I only got away from England at the risk of being ducked to death, and that Cly was soferreted up and down, that he never would have got away at all but for that sham.
    • 1842, Edgar Alan Poe,The Mistery of Marie Roget:
      He had been piqued by the failure of all his endeavors toferret out the assassins.
    • 1922,Virginia Woolf, chapter 1, inJacob's Room:
      Sheferreted in her bag; then held it up mouth downwards; then fumbled in her lap, all so vigorously that Charles Steele in the Panama hat suspended his paint-brush.
Derived terms
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Translations
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to bring to light by searching

Etymology 2

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FromItalianfioretto.

Noun

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ferret

  1. (dated) Atape ofsilk,cotton, orribbon, used to tiedocuments, clothing, etc. or along the edge of fabric.

Further reading

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Anagrams

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French

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Etymology

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Fromfer +‎-et.

Pronunciation

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Noun

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ferret m (pluralferrets)

  1. (metal)tag;aglet,aiguillette

Further reading

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Latin

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Verb

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ferret

  1. third-personsingularimperfectactivesubjunctive offerō
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