ermine

/ˈʌrmən/

/ˈʌmaɪn/

Other forms: ermines

An ermine is a small, wild weasel. Ermines, like minks and sables, have very soft fur and they’re all part of the mustelid family which also includes otters, badgers, and wolverines!

You're likely to come across the noun ermine in connection with the way humans use them — in some areas of the world, they are commonly raised or hunted for their fur, which is prized for its softness and can be made into coats or hats. Another word for an ermine is a stoat. A coat made from an ermine's skin is also called an ermine.

Definitions of ermine

1. noun

   mustelid of northern hemisphere in its white winter coat
   synonyms: Mustela erminea, shorttail weasel

   types:

   stoat

   the ermine in its brown summer coat with black-tipped tail

   type of:

   weasel

   small carnivorous mammal with short legs and elongated body and neck
2. noun

   the expensive white fur of the ermine
   type of:

   fur, pelt

   the dressed hairy coat of a mammal