ferret

1 of 3

noun (1)

fer·​ret ˈfer-ət 

1

a

: a domesticated usually albino, brownish, or silver-gray animal (Mustela putorius furo) that is descended from the European polecat

b

: black-footed ferret

2

: an active and persistent searcher

ferrety

ˈfer-ə-tē 

adjective

ferret

2 of 3

verb

ferreted; ferreting; ferrets

intransitive verb

1

: to hunt with ferrets

2

: to search about

transitive verb

1

a(1)

: to hunt (animals, such as rabbits) with ferrets

(2)

: to force out of hiding : flush

b

: to find and bring to light by searching

—usually used with out

ferret out the answers

2

: harry, worry

ferreter noun

ferret

3 of 3

noun (2)

: a narrow cotton, silk, or wool tape

called also ferreting

Did you know?

Ferret as a Verb

Since the 14th century, English speakers have used ferret as the name of a small, slinky, domesticated mammal of the weasel family. The word came to us by way of Anglo-French and can be traced back to the Latin word fur, meaning "thief." These days ferrets are often kept as pets, but previously they were used to hunt rabbits, rats, and other vermin, and to drive them from their underground burrows. By the 15th century, the verb ferret was being used for the action of hunting with ferrets. By the late 16th century, the verb had taken on figurative uses as well. Today, we most frequently encounter the verb ferret in the sense of "to find and bring to light by searching."

Synonyms

Verb

• ascertain
• descry
• detect
• determine
• dig out
• dig up
• discover
• dredge (up)
• find
• find out
• get
• hit (on or upon)
• hunt (down or up)
• learn
• locate
• nose out
• root (out)
• rout (out)
• rummage
• run down
• scare up
• scout (up)
• track (down)
• turn up

Examples of ferret in a Sentence

Verb

the reporter ferreted out massive evidence of corruption at city hall

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Her experiments in ferrets suggest that our bodies wouldn’t necessarily be totally defenseless. —Brenda Goodman, CNN, 11 June 2024

Those annual viruses make ferrets sick but are not deadly. —Beth Mole, Ars Technica, 10 June 2024

Verb

But for those who choose to ferret, there also comes a warning from Adam Simon, the Heat’s vice president of basketball operations and assistant general manager, who oversees the team’s draft. —Ira Winderman, Sun Sentinel, 19 June 2024

Another was that the majority of the South's oil income had never previously reached the people but had been siphoned off and ferreted abroad by members of the ruling elite, including the army's 600 generals. —Alex De Waal, Foreign Affairs, 7 Feb. 2013

Word History

Etymology

Noun (1)

Middle English furet, ferret, from Anglo-French firet, furet, from Vulgar Latin *furittus, literally, little thief, diminutive of Latin fur thief — more at furtive

Noun (2)

probably modification of Italian fioretti floss silk, from plural of fioretto, diminutive of fiore flower, from Latin flor-, flos — more at blow

First Known Use

Noun (1)

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Verb

15th century, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1

Noun (2)

1649, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing ferret

• black-footed ferret
• ferret out

Podcast

Get Word of the Day delivered to your inbox!

Kids Definition

ferret

1 of 2 noun

fer·​ret ˈfer-ət 

1

: a domesticated usually albino, brownish, or silver-gray mammal closely related to the European polecat

2

: black-footed ferret

ferret

2 of 2 verb

1

: to drive out of a hiding place

2

: to find and bring to light by searching

—usually used with out