polecat
n 1: American musteline mammal typically ejecting an intensely
malodorous fluid when startled; in some classifications put
in a separate subfamily Mephitinae [syn: skunk,
polecat, wood pussy]
2: dark brown mustelid of woodlands of Eurasia that gives off an
unpleasant odor when threatened [syn: polecat, fitch,
foulmart, foumart, Mustela putorius]
polecat
1320, first element is probably Anglo-Fr. pol, from O.Fr. poule "fowl,
hen," so called because it preys on poultry. The other alternative is
that the first element is from O.Fr. pulent "stinking," for obvious
reasons. Originally the European Putorius foetidus; also applied to
related U.S. skunks since 1688.
polecat noun (pluralpolecatsorpolecat)
Etymology: Middle English polcat, probably from Middle
French poul, pol cock + Middle English cat; probably from its
preying on poultry — more at pulletDate: 14th century 1.
any of several carnivorous mammals (as of the genera Mustela or
Vormela) of the weasel family; especially a brown to black
European mammal (M. putorius) from which the domesticated ferret is
derived 2.skunk
polecat n. 1 Brit. a small European brownish-black fetid flesh-eating mammal, Mustela putorius, of the weasel family. 2 US a skunk. Etymology: pole (unexplained) + CAT
polecat
ˈpəulkæt n. 1 Brit. a small European brownish-black fetid
flesh-eating mammal, Mustela putorius, of the weasel family. 2 US a
skunk. [pole (unexplained) + CAT]
Polecat \Pole"cat`\, n. [Probably fr. F. poule hen, and
originally, a poultry cat, because it feeds on poultry. See
Poultry.] (Zo["o]l.)
(a) A small European carnivore of the Weasel family
({Putorius f[oe]tidus}). Its scent glands secrete a
substance of an exceedingly disagreeable odor. Called
also fitchet, foulmart, and European ferret.
(b) The zorilla. The name is also applied to other allied
species.
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