Advertisement
English Lexicon

Polecat

/ˈpoʊl.kæt/
nounCEFR C1 (Advanced)Top #14500 frequency
Full Thesaurus

Comprehensive Definitions & Senses

2 senses
As noun
  1. 1

    A dark-brown Eurasian carnivorous mammal of the weasel family, noted for its strong-smelling secretions.

    "The farmer spotted a polecat darting quickly beneath the old wooden barn."
  2. 2

    An obnoxious or despicable person.

    "He was regarded by his neighbors as an untrustworthy polecat."
Advertisement

Thesaurus & Semantic Spectrum

Synonyms (3)
Antonyms & Contrasting Words (1)

Linguistic Origin & Historical Etymology

The word originates from Middle English, combining 'poule' (meaning chicken or fowl, derived from Old French) and 'cat', referring to the animal's habit of preying on domestic poultry. Alternatively, some linguists connect the first element to the Old French word 'pole' meaning dark or dusty. It has been used since the 14th century to designate this specific carnivorous mammal.

Quick Vocabulary Retention Check

Which of the following is the closest synonym for "Polecat"?

Advertisement
Thesaurus & Synonyms Graph

Explore Nuanced Synonyms for "Polecat"

Discover exact matches, context-specific alternatives, and antonyms with intensity ratings in the VocabDictionary Thesaurus.

View "Polecat" Synonym Map
Advertisement