stoat

noun

ˈstōt 

plural stoats also stoat

: the common ermine (Mustela erminea) chiefly of northern Eurasia and North America that is brown above and white below in summer and in its northern range all white in winter and that ranges from 9 to 15 inches (23 to 38 centimeters) in length including a black-tipped tail that is usually 1 ½ to 3 ½ inches (3.8 to 9 centimeters) long : ermine sense 1a, short-tailed weasel

Examples of stoat in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Why exactly stoats jump like this is an open question. —Carlyn Kranking, Smithsonian Magazine, 6 Sep. 2024

And for Fleming, the recent stoat incursion only underscores the importance of the Predator Free 2050 plan. —Dhruv Tikekar, CNN, 10 Apr. 2024

Other predators, such as rats, possums, stoats, ferrets, and feral cats, were later brought by European settlers. —Elizabeth Rayne, Ars Technica, 12 Sep. 2023

In a country with no native terrestrial mammals, the birds were declared extinct in 1898 after invasive stoats and other animals introduced by British settlers had devastated local bird populations. —Cameron Pugh, The Christian Science Monitor, 4 Jan. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Middle English stote

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

stoat

noun

ˈstōt 

: a common ermine of northern regions especially in its brown summer coat