black-footed ferret

noun

: a rare weasel (Mustela nigripes) of western North American prairies having a yellowish coat, dark feet and facial mask, and a dark-tipped tail

Illustration of black-footed ferret

Examples of black-footed ferret in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The nonprofit is acquiring slices of crucial habitat to help connect existing public lands in north-central Montana, restoring America’s vast shortgrass prairie and providing a home for everything from bison and pronghorn antelope to grizzly bears, black-footed ferrets, and sage grouse. —Outside Online, 26 Sep. 2024

Individual black-footed ferrets typically require 130 acres of prairie dogs to provide them with sufficient prey, according to Jackson. —Austin Corona, The Arizona Republic, 23 Sep. 2024

Its successful track record includes reintroducing black-footed ferrets, river otters, lynx, and, more recently, gray wolves, which were released into Colorado’s high country in December last year. —Christine Peterson, Vox, 5 Aug. 2024

Willa never reproduced, so her genes are not part of the captive black-footed ferret gene pool. —Will Sullivan, Smithsonian Magazine, 22 Apr. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1846, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

black-footed ferret

noun

black-foot·​ed ferret

ˈblak-ˌfu̇t-əd-

: an endangered weasel of western North American prairies having a yellowish coat, black feet and face markings, and a black-tipped tail