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Ermine vs Ferret - What's the difference?

ermine | ferret |

As nouns the difference between ermine and ferret

is that ermine is a weasel, , found in northern latitudes; its dark brown fur turns white in winter (apart from the black tip of the tail) while ferret is an often domesticated mammal rather like a weasel, descended from the polecat and often trained to hunt burrowing animals or ferret can be (dated) a tape of silk, cotton, or ribbon, used to tie documents, clothing, etc or along the edge of fabric.

As verbs the difference between ermine and ferret

is that ermine is to clothe with ermine while ferret is to hunt game with ferrets.

ermine

English

Noun

(wikipedia ermine) (en-noun)
  • A weasel, , found in northern latitudes; its dark brown fur turns white in winter (apart from the black tip of the tail)
  • The white fur of this animal
  • (poetic) A symbol of purity
  • (figuratively) The office of a judge
  • (tincture) A white field with black spots

    • Synonyms

    * stoat (British) * short-tailed weasel * wild otter

    Verb

    (ermin)
  • To clothe with ermine

    • References

    * OED 2nd edition 1989

    Anagrams

    * ----

    ferret

    English

    (wikipedia ferret)

    Etymology 1

    (etyl) furet, ferret, from (etyl) firet, furet, diminutive of (etyl) .

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • An often domesticated mammal rather like a weasel, descended from the polecat and often trained to hunt burrowing animals.
  • The (black-footed ferret), .
  • A diligent searcher.
    • Synonyms
    * (domesticated polecat) Mustela putorius furo

    Verb

    (en verb)
  • To hunt game with ferrets.
  • To uncover and bring to light by searching; usually to ferret out .
  • * Shakespeare
    • Master Fer! I'll fer him, and firk him, and ferret him.
  • * 1922 , (Virginia Woolf), (w, Jacob's Room) Chapter 1
    • She ferreted in her bag; then held it up mouth downwards; then fumbled in her lap, all so vigorously that Charles Steele in the Panama hat suspended his paint-brush.

    See also

    *

    Etymology 2

    (etyl) fioretto

    Noun

  • (dated) A tape of silk, cotton, or ribbon, used to tie documents, clothing, etc. or along the edge of fabric.
  • * Charles Dickens, Bleak House
    • red tape and green ferret
    ----