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Added 10 October 2026

ferret

/ˈfɛɹɪt/ noun

In Latin: viverra Wiktionary

noun Definition from WordNet 3.1, Princeton University. Pronunciation from Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org. More about ferret at Wordnik → Where our words come from →

Musteline mammal of prairie regions of United States; nearly extinct.
Domesticated albino variety of the European polecat bred for hunting rats and rabbits.

verb

Hound or harry relentlessly.
Hunt with ferrets.
Search and discover through persistent investigation.
She ferreted out the truth

Origin

From Middle English furet, ferret, from Old French furet, from Vulgar Latin *furittum (“weasel, ferret”), diminutive of Latin fūr (“thief”).

From Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org (CC BY-SA)

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