polecat

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“
But, for reals, a polecat is a type of weasel or skunk.

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Definitions (8)

Toggle American Heritage definitions American Heritage Dictionary (3)

  1. noun A chiefly nocturnal European carnivorous mammal (Mustela putorius) of the weasel family that ejects a malodorous fluid to mark its territory and ward off enemies. Also called fitch.
  2. noun Any of various related mammals of Asia, especially Mustela eversmanni of central Asia.
  3. noun See skunk.

Toggle Century definitions Century Dictionary (2)

Toggle GNU Webster definitions GNU Webster's 1913 (1)

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Examples (50)

  • The animal set out in industrious pursuit of part of the group, and they saw that it was not a rhino, but some kind of buffalo that was as black as a polecat DOC stopped some distance from the prison compound, lifted his head, put his hands to his mouth, and shouted in Mayan He told those in the compound to get ready for a break. —  104 - Birds Of Death
  • I should say that he had about as much morals as a polecat, but he has what often does fairly well as a substitute, worldly wisdom. —  THE ISLAND OF SHEEP
  • But, for reals, a polecat is a type of weasel or skunk. —  Blogger News Network
  • The name probably relates to a poor translation of the name for the European polecat, which is a relative of the fisher and is called the fitch ferret, fichet or fitche. —  CommonDreams.org Headlines
  • A polecat, by the way, is not a cat at all-in the United States, the term designates a skunk.
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Etymologies (2)

Toggle American Heritage etymologies American Heritage Dictionary (1)

  1. Middle English polcat : possibly Old French poll, poule, fowl, hen; see pullet + Middle English cat, cat; see cat.

Toggle Century etymologies Century Dictionary (1)

  1. Early modern English also polecatte, polcat; from Middle English polcat, polkat, pulkat, prob. orig. *polecat or *poulecat, from *pole, *poule, a hen, chicken (from Old French *pole, poule, French poule, a hen, a chicken), + cat. The polecat is well known as a chicken-thief. The word *pole, *poule, a hen, chicken, is not elsewhere found in Middle English (except as in the derivatives poult, poultry, pullet, pullen, etc.), and the first element of polecat has been variously identified with (a) Pole or Polish; (b) Old French pulent, stinking: or (c) Middle English pol, English pool, in the assumed sense of ‘hole’ or ‘burrow.’
 

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/ˈpoʊlkæt/
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