What does polecat mean?
A polecat is a small mustelid, the weasel-like family that also includes otters, badgers, and weasels. The European polecat has a slender body, short legs, small rounded ears, and a coat that is generally dark brown or blackish, with a pale face and neck. It is native to Europe and western Asia and is the ancestor of the domestic ferret. In older writing, the word could also refer to a ferret or a ferret-like hunting animal. The name is occasionally used figuratively to describe a secretive, cunning, or furtive person, although that sense now has an old-fashioned literary flavour. Polecats are most often discussed in wildlife reports, conservation contexts, natural-history writing, and historical accounts of hunting and domestication.
A small, dark-furred mustelid native to Europe and western Asia, closely related to the ferret and sometimes regarded as its wild ancestor.
"The conservation trust restored reed-bed habitat for the European polecat."
When unqualified, the word generally denotes the European polecat.
Archaically, a ferret or a ferret-like animal employed in hunting.
"The huntsman released a polecat into the rabbit warren."
This historical sense is uncommon in contemporary usage.
Used when referring to one or more animals of the species, especially in wildlife and conservation writing.
"The reserve is home to several polecats and other rare mammals."
The ferret you may know as a household pet is a domesticated descendant of the elusive European polecat.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does polecat come from?
The word appeared in Middle English as polcat and is generally traced to an Old French form, polecat. Its precise origin is uncertain: proposed analyses often connect it with words meaning a pullet or young domestic fowl, but the relationship is not certain. The second element, cat, is not a modern reference to the feline family; it is part of the compound's older name for the animal.
How polecat is actually used
In modern British and American English, the ordinary zoological meaning is the European polecat. The name is sometimes used figuratively for a sly or furtive person, though that literary use can sound deliberately archaic.
Easily confused with polecat
A ferret is the domesticated form of the European polecat, whereas the word polecat usually refers to the wild animal.
A polecat is a mustelid native to Europe and western Asia; skunks are separate North and South American mammals known for their conspicuous warning coloration and scent.