Transcription
-
- US Pronunciation
- US IPA
- UK Pronunciation
- UK IPA
-
- [wee-zuh l]
- /ˈwi zəl/
- /ˈwiː.zəl/
-
- US Pronunciation
- US IPA
-
- [wee-zuh l]
- /ˈwi zəl/
Definitions of weasel word
- noun plural weasel any small carnivore of the genus Mustela, of the family Mustelidae, having a long, slender body and feeding chiefly on small rodents. 1
- noun plural weasel any of various similar animals of the family Mustelidae. 1
- noun plural weasel a cunning, sneaky person. 1
- noun plural weasel a tracked vehicle resembling a tractor, used in snow. 1
- noun plural weasel Slang. an informer; stool pigeon. 1
- verb without object weasel to evade an obligation, duty, or the like; renege (often followed by out): That's one invitation I'd like to weasel out of. 1
Information block about the term
Origin of weasel
First appearance:
before 900 One of the 4% oldest English words
before 900; 1920-25 for def 6; Middle English wesele, Old English wesle, weosule; cognate with Old High German wisula, German Wiesel
Historical Comparancy
Parts of speech for Weasel
noun
adjective
verb
adverb
pronoun
preposition
conjunction
determiner
exclamation
weasel popularity
A common word. It’s meaning is known to most children of preschool age. About 88% of English native speakers know the meaning and use the word.
Most Europeans know this English word. The frequency of it’s usage is somewhere between "mom" and "screwdriver".
weasel usage trend in Literature
This diagram is provided by Google Ngram ViewerSynonyms for weasel
noun weasel
- betrayer — to deliver or expose to an enemy by treachery or disloyalty: Benedict Arnold betrayed his country.
- blabbermouth — a person who talks too much or indiscreetly
- canary — Canaries are small yellow birds which sing beautifully and are often kept as pets.
- deceiver — to mislead by a false appearance or statement; delude: They deceived the enemy by disguising the destroyer as a freighter.
- double-crosser — to prove treacherous to; betray or swindle, as by a double cross.
verb weasel
- avoid — If you avoid something unpleasant that might happen, you take action in order to prevent it from happening.
- evade — Escape or avoid, esp. by cleverness or trickery.
- baulk — the space, usually 29 inches deep, between the baulk line and the bottom cushion
- balk — If you balk at something, you definitely do not want to do it or to let it happen.
- dodge — to elude or evade by a sudden shift of position or by strategy: to dodge a blow; to dodge a question.
Antonyms for weasel
Top questions with weasel
- what is a weasel?
- what are the words to pop goes the weasel?
- what does a weasel look like?
- how do you spell weasel?
- what does pop goes the weasel mean?
- how to catch a weasel?
- what does a weasel eat?
- how do you say weasel in spanish?
- how to draw a weasel?
- how to trap a weasel?
- what does weasel mean?
- what a weasel?
- what are weasel words?
- how big is a weasel?
- where can i buy a weasel?
See also
Matching words
- Words starting with w
- Words starting with we
- Words starting with wea
- Words starting with weas
- Words starting with wease
- Words starting with weasel