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ferret

View usage for:

ferret

(ferɪt)

Word forms: plural, 3rd person singular presenttense ferrets, present participle ferreting, past tense, past participle ferreted

1. countable noun

A ferret is a small, fierce animal which is used for hunting rabbits and rats.

2. verb

If you ferret about for something, you look for it in a lot of different places or in a place where it is hidden.

[British, informal]

She nonetheless continued to ferret about for possible jobs. [V about/around]

She ferreted among some papers. [VERB preposition]

Synonyms: search, hunt, sift, scour More Synonyms of ferret

Phrasal verbs:

See ferret out

ferret in British English 1

(ˈfɛrɪt)

noun

a domesticated albino variety of the polecat Mustela putorius, bred for hunting rats, rabbits, etc

an assiduous searcher

3. black-footed ferret

verbWord forms: -rets, -reting or -reted

to hunt (rabbits, rats, etc) with ferrets

5. (transitive; usually foll by out)

to drive from hiding

to ferret out snipers

6. (transitive; usually foll by out)

to find by persistent investigation

7. (intransitive)

to search around

Derived forms

ferreter (ˈferreter)

noun

ferrety (ˈferrety)

adjective

Word origin

C14: from Old French furet, from Latin fur thief

ferret in British English 2

(ˈfɛrɪt) or ferreting

noun

silk binding tape

Word origin

C16: from Italian fioretti floss silk, plural of fioretto: a little flower, from fiore flower, from Latin flōs

ferret in American English 1

(ˈfɛrət)

noun

a narrow ribbon of cotton, wool, silk, etc.

: also ˈferreting

Word origin

< It fioretti, floss silk, orig. pl. of fioretto, dim. of fiore, a flower < L flos, flower

ferret in American English 2

(ˈfɛrət)

noun

a small, domesticated European polecat with pink eyes and yellowish fur, easily tamed for hunting rabbits, rats, etc.

a rare, black-footed weasel (Mustela nigripes) of the W U.S.

verb transitive

to force out of hiding with or as if with a ferret

to search for persistently and discover (facts, the truth, etc.); search

with out

5. Archaic

to keep after; harass

verb intransitive

to hunt with ferrets

to search around

Derived forms

ferreter (ˈferreter)

noun

ferrety (ˈferrety) (fɛrəti)

adjective

Word origin

ME feret < OFr furet < LL furetus, dim. of furo, a ferret < L fur, thief: see furtive

Image of
ferret

Examples of 'ferret' in a sentence
ferret

She takes notes like a haunted ferret.Beetle was beside himself with frenzied excitement and squirmed into the car like a questing ferret.I don't want to kill them or get a ferret or anything like that, hopefully they will go on somewhere else.

Word lists with
ferret

male animals, female animals, baby and young animals, carnivore

In other languages
ferret

British English: ferret /ˈfɛrɪt/ NOUN

A ferret is a small, fierce animal which hunts rabbits and rats.

American English: ferret
Arabic: إِبْن مِقْرَص
Brazilian Portuguese: furão
Chinese: 雪貂
Croatian: lasica
Czech: fretka
Danish: fritte
Dutch: fret dier
European Spanish: hurón
Finnish: fretti
French: furet
German: Frettchen
Greek: νυφίτσα
Italian: furetto
Japanese: ケナガイタチ
Korean: 흰담비
Norwegian: ilder
Polish: fretka
European Portuguese: furão
Romanian: dihor
Russian: хорек
Latin American Spanish: hurón
Swedish: jaktiller
Thai: สัตว์คล้ายพังพอน
Turkish: yaban gelinciği
Ukrainian: тхір
Vietnamese: chồn ferret

Chinese translation of 'ferret'

ferret

(ˈfɛrɪt)

n (c)

雪貂 (xuědiāo) (只, zhī)

(verb) in the sense of search

Definition

to search around

She ferreted among some papers.

Synonyms

Armed troops searched the hospital yesterday.

hunt

sift

scour

We scoured the telephone directory for clues.

rummage

They rummage through piles of second-hand clothes.

forage

They were forced to forage for clothes and fuel.

fossick (Australian, New Zealand)

If you fossick around in some specialist music stores, you may be lucky enough to find a copy.

phrasal verb

See ferret something or someone out

related words

name of male hob

name of female gilljill

name of young kit

Additional synonyms

in the sense of forage

Definition

to obtain by searching about

They were forced to forage for clothes and fuel.

Synonyms

search,

hunt,

scavenge,

cast about,

seek,

explore,

raid,

scour,

plunder,

look round,

rummage,

ransack,

scrounge (informal),

fossick (Australian, New Zealand)

in the sense of fossick

Definition

to search for, through, or in something; to forage

If you fossick around in some specialist music stores, you may be lucky enough to find a copy.

Synonyms

search,

hunt,

explore,

ferret,

check,

forage,

rummage

in the sense of rummage

Definition

to search untidily

They rummage through piles of second-hand clothes.

Synonyms

search,

hunt,

root,

explore,

delve,

examine,

ransack,

forage,

fossick (Australian, New Zealand),

rootle

Nearby words of
ferret

fern
ferocious
ferocity
ferret
ferret something or someone out
ferry
fertile

单词	ferret
释义	Trends of ferret View usage for: ferret (ferɪt) Word forms: plural, 3rd person singular presenttense ferrets, present participle ferreting, past tense, past participle ferreted 1. countable noun A ferret is a small, fierce animal which is used for hunting rabbits and rats. 2. verb If you ferret about for something, you look for it in a lot of different places or in a place where it is hidden. [British, informal] She nonetheless continued to ferret about for possible jobs. [V about/around] She ferreted among some papers. [VERB preposition] Synonyms: search, hunt, sift, scour More Synonyms of ferret Phrasal verbs: See ferret out ferret in British English 1 (ˈfɛrɪt) noun 1. a domesticated albino variety of the polecat Mustela putorius, bred for hunting rats, rabbits, etc 2. an assiduous searcher 3. black-footed ferret verbWord forms: -rets, -reting or -reted 4. to hunt (rabbits, rats, etc) with ferrets 5. (transitive; usually foll by out) to drive from hiding to ferret out snipers 6. (transitive; usually foll by out) to find by persistent investigation 7. (intransitive) to search around Derived forms ferreter (ˈferreter) noun ferrety (ˈferrety) adjective Word origin C14: from Old French furet, from Latin fur thief ferret in British English 2 (ˈfɛrɪt) or ferreting noun silk binding tape Word origin C16: from Italian fioretti floss silk, plural of fioretto: a little flower, from fiore flower, from Latin flōs ferret in American English 1 (ˈfɛrət) noun a narrow ribbon of cotton, wool, silk, etc. : also ˈferreting Word origin < It fioretti, floss silk, orig. pl. of fioretto, dim. of fiore, a flower < L flos, flower ferret in American English 2 (ˈfɛrət) noun 1. a small, domesticated European polecat with pink eyes and yellowish fur, easily tamed for hunting rabbits, rats, etc. 2. a rare, black-footed weasel (Mustela nigripes) of the W U.S. verb transitive 3. to force out of hiding with or as if with a ferret 4. to search for persistently and discover (facts, the truth, etc.); search with out 5. Archaic to keep after; harass verb intransitive 6. to hunt with ferrets 7. to search around Derived forms ferreter (ˈferreter) noun ferrety (ˈferrety) (fɛrəti) adjective Word origin ME feret < OFr furet < LL furetus, dim. of furo, a ferret < L fur, thief: see furtive Image of ferret © nanka, shutterstock Examples of 'ferret' in a sentence ferret She takes notes like a haunted ferret. Times, Sunday Times (2009) Beetle was beside himself with frenzied excitement and squirmed into the car like a questing ferret. Times, Sunday Times (2015) I don't want to kill them or get a ferret or anything like that, hopefully they will go on somewhere else. The Sun (2013) Word lists with ferret male animals, female animals, baby and young animals, carnivore In other languages ferret British English: ferret /ˈfɛrɪt/ NOUN A ferret is a small, fierce animal which hunts rabbits and rats. American English: ferret Arabic: إِبْن مِقْرَص Brazilian Portuguese: furão Chinese: 雪貂 Croatian: lasica Czech: fretka Danish: fritte Dutch: fret dier European Spanish: hurón Finnish: fretti French: furet German: Frettchen Greek: νυφίτσα Italian: furetto Japanese: ケナガイタチ Korean: 흰담비 Norwegian: ilder Polish: fretka European Portuguese: furão Romanian: dihor Russian: хорек Latin American Spanish: hurón Swedish: jaktiller Thai: สัตว์คล้ายพังพอน Turkish: yaban gelinciği Ukrainian: тхір Vietnamese: chồn ferret Chinese translation of 'ferret' ferret (ˈfɛrɪt) n (c) 雪貂 (xuědiāo) (只, zhī) (verb) in the sense of search Definition to search around She ferreted among some papers. Synonyms search Armed troops searched the hospital yesterday. hunt sift scour We scoured the telephone directory for clues. rummage They rummage through piles of second-hand clothes. forage They were forced to forage for clothes and fuel. fossick (Australian, New Zealand) If you fossick around in some specialist music stores, you may be lucky enough to find a copy. phrasal verb See ferret something or someone out related words name of male hob name of female gilljill name of young kit Additional synonyms in the sense of forage Definition to obtain by searching about They were forced to forage for clothes and fuel. Synonyms search, hunt, scavenge, cast about, seek, explore, raid, scour, plunder, look round, rummage, ransack, scrounge (informal), fossick (Australian, New Zealand) in the sense of fossick Definition to search for, through, or in something; to forage If you fossick around in some specialist music stores, you may be lucky enough to find a copy. Synonyms search, hunt, explore, ferret, check, forage, rummage in the sense of rummage Definition to search untidily They rummage through piles of second-hand clothes. Synonyms search, hunt, root, explore, delve, examine, ransack, forage, fossick (Australian, New Zealand), rootle Nearby words of ferret fern ferocious ferocity ferret ferret something or someone out ferry fertile Related terms of ferret ferret something or someone out Synonyms of 'ferret' ferret Explore 'ferret' in the dictionary
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Trends offerret

ferret

ferret in British English 1

ferret in British English 2

ferret in American English 1

ferret in American English 2

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In other languagesferret

Chinese translation of 'ferret'

ferret

n (c)

phrasal verb

related words

Additional synonyms

Nearby words offerret

Related terms offerret

Synonyms of 'ferret'

ferret

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ferret

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ferret

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ferret

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ferret

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ferret

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