different between weasely vs weasel

English

Alternative forms

• weaselly

Etymology

weasel +? y

Adjective

weasely (comparative weaselier, superlative weaseliest)

1. Alternative spelling of weaselly

References

• weasely at OneLook Dictionary Search

Anagrams

• leeways

English

Alternative forms

• weazel (archaic)

Etymology

From Middle English wesele, from Old English weosule, from Proto-West Germanic *wisul?, from Proto-Germanic *wisul?. The verb comes from the supposed cunningness of the weasel.

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /?wi?z(?)l/
• (General American) enPR: w??z?l, w?z?l, IPA^(key): /?wiz?l/, /?wizl?/
• Rhymes: -i?z?l
• Hyphenation: wea?sel

Noun

weasel (plural weasels)

1. The least weasel, Mustela nivalis.
2. Any of the carnivorous mammals of the genus Mustela, having a slender body, a long tail and usually a light brown upper coat and light-coloured belly.
3. The taxonomic family Mustelidae is also called the weasel family.
4. A devious or sneaky person or animal.
5. A type of yarn winder used for counting the yardage of handspun yarn. It most commonly has a wooden peg or dowel that pops up from the gearing mechanism after a certain number of yards have been wound onto the winder.

Synonyms

• (any of the carnivorous mammals of the genus Mustela): mustela

Hypernyms

• carnivorous mammal

Hyponyms

• least weasel
• mountain weasel
• short-tailed weasel
• Siberian weasel

Derived terms

• iceweasel
• weaselly
• weasely

Related terms

• weasel word

Translations

Verb

weasel (third-person singular simple present weasels, present participle weaseling or weaselling, simple past and past participle weaseled or weaselled)

1. (transitive) To achieve by clever or devious means.
   • 2010 (publication date), Tony Dajer, "Vital Signs", Discover, ISSN 0274-7529, volume 32, number 1, January–February 2011, page 10:

     Prisoners are notorious for weaseling day passes to get out of lockup […] .

2. (transitive or reflexive) To gain something for oneself by clever or devious means.
3. (intransitive) To engage in clever or devious behavior.

Usage notes

• Weaseling and weaseled are more common in the US. Weaselling and weaselled are more common in the UK.

Related terms

• weasel one's way
• weasel out

Translations

See also

• ferret
• mink
• polecat
• stoat

References

• weasel at OneLook Dictionary Search
• weasel in The Century Dictionary, New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., 1911.

Further reading

• weasel on Wikipedia.Wikipedia

Anagrams

• weales