stoat

noun

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
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Traps to catch rats, possums, and stoats are scattered across key parts of the urban landscape, with hundreds of locals offering their gardens as trapping sites. Laurie Winkless, Forbes.com, 5 June 2025 Part of the tour contributes to the health of the ecosystem by funding the removal of non-native predators such as stoats and rats, which harm native bird populations and other wildlife in New Zealand. Christopher Elliott, Forbes.com, 3 May 2025 Last year, the flightless takahe birds were reintroduced into the wild after being nearly wiped out by stoats. Troy Aidan Sambajon, Christian Science Monitor, 28 Apr. 2025 Having seen stoats before in Switzerland, Belgian photographer Michel d'Oultremont wanted to capture an image of one in his own country. Carlyn Kranking, Smithsonian Magazine, 10 Jan. 2025 See All Example Sentences for stoat

Word History

Etymology

Middle English stote

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of stoat was in the 15th century

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Cite this Entry

“Stoat.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/stoat. Accessed 20 Jun. 2025.

Kids Definition

stoat

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