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polecat
(poʊlkæt)
Word forms: plural polecats
countable noun
A polecat is a small, thin, fierce wild animal. Polecats have a very unpleasant smell.
polecat in British English
(ˈpəʊlˌkæt)
nounWord forms: plural -cats or -cat
1. Also called (formerly): foumart (ˈfʊmət), foulmart (ˈfʊlmət)
a dark brown musteline mammal, Mustela putorius, of woodlands of Europe, Asia, and N Africa, that is closely related to but larger than the weasel and gives off an unpleasant smell
See also sweet marten2.
any of various related animals, such as the marbled polecat,Vormela peregusna
3. US a nontechnical name for skunk (sense 1)
Word origin
C14 polcat, perhaps from Old French pol cock, from Latin pullus, + cat1; from its habit of preying on poultrypolecat in American English
(ˈpoʊlˌkæt)
nounWord forms: plural ˈpoleˌcats or ˈpoleˌcat
1.
any of several small, Old World weasels, usually having anal glands that eject foul-smelling fluid when the animal is in danger, esp. one (Mustela putorius) that is known as a “ferret” when domesticated to kill rats, mice, etc.
2. US
skunk
Word origin
ME polcat, prob. < OFr poule (see poultry) + cat1Image ofpolecat
© Nikolai Tsvetkov, shutterstock
Examples of 'polecat' in a sentencepolecat
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