FromMiddle Englishstote(“the ermine, especially in its brown summer coat”), of uncertain origin. The word bears some resemblance toOld Norsestutr(“bull”),Swedishstut(“bull,steer”) andDanishstud(“steer”) (see alsoEnglishstot), but the semantic link is difficult unless a common origin is from “(brown?) male mammal”. First attested in the mid 1400s.
1886,Transactions of the Edinburgh Naturalists' Field Club, volume 1,page135:
I have never seenStoats hunt in packs, but it is certain both Weasels andStoats do so.
2003, John Long,Introduced Mammals of the World: Their History, Distribution and Influence,page272:
In 1953 it was reported that thestoat had increased to a high population level, but that the weasel introduced at the same time had disappeared (de Voset al. 1956).
2005, T. C. R. White,Why Does the World Stay Green?: Nutrition and Survival of Plant-eaters,page91:
Europeanstoats were long ago introduced to New Zealand (along with ferrets and weasels!) in the mistaken belief that they would control the burgeoning populations of introduced rabbits.
