Library / English Dictionary

FERRET

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

 I. (noun) 

Sense 1

Meaning:

Domesticated albino variety of the European polecat bred for hunting rats and rabbits

Classified under:

Nouns denoting animals

Hypernyms ("ferret" is a kind of...):

fitch; foulmart; foumart; Mustela putorius; polecat (dark brown mustelid of woodlands of Eurasia that gives off an unpleasant odor when threatened)

Sense 2

Meaning:

Musteline mammal of prairie regions of United States; nearly extinct

Synonyms:

black-footed ferret; ferret; Mustela nigripes

Classified under:

Nouns denoting animals

Hypernyms ("ferret" is a kind of...):

mustelid; musteline; musteline mammal (fissiped fur-bearing carnivorous mammals)

Holonyms ("ferret" is a member of...):

genus Mustela; Mustela (type genus of the family Mustelidae: minks and weasels)

Derivation:

ferret (hunt with ferrets)

 II. (verb) 

Sense 1

Meaning:

Search and discover through persistent investigation

Example:

She ferreted out the truth

Synonyms:

ferret; ferret out

Classified under:

Verbs of thinking, judging, analyzing, doubting

Hypernyms (to "ferret" is one way to...):

discover; find (make a discovery)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s something
Somebody ----s that CLAUSE

Sense 2

Meaning:

Hunt with ferrets

Classified under:

Verbs of fighting, athletic activities

Hypernyms (to "ferret" is one way to...):

hunt; hunt down; run; track down (pursue for food or sport (as of wild animals))

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s
Somebody ----s something

Derivation:

ferret (musteline mammal of prairie regions of United States; nearly extinct)

Sense 3

Meaning:

Hound or harry relentlessly

Classified under:

Verbs of walking, flying, swimming

Hypernyms (to "ferret" is one way to...):

hound; hunt; trace (pursue or chase relentlessly)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s something
Somebody ----s somebody

Credits

 Context examples: 

The ferrets experienced a protective effect from the antibodies after exposure to Bundibugyo ebolavirus.

(Antibodies from Ebola survivor protect mice and ferrets against related viruses, NIH)

The ferret is carnivorous and crepuscular, spending 14-18 hours a day sleeping.

(Ferret, NCI Thesaurus)

In the ferrets exposed to the Bundibugyo virus and treated with ADI-15742, the virus developed a single mutation that enabled it to escape the antibody’s effects.

(Antibodies from Ebola survivor protect mice and ferrets against related viruses, NIH)