weasel out
zəl noun
1.
any small carnivore of the genus Mustela, of the family Mustelidae, having a long, slender body and feeding chiefly on small rodents.
2.
any of various similar animals of the family Mustelidae.
3.
a cunning, sneaky person.
4.
a tracked vehicle resembling a tractor, used in snow.
5.
Slang. an informer; stool pigeon.
verb (used without object)
6.
to evade an obligation, duty, or the like; renege (often followed by out ): That's one invitation I'd like to weasel out of.
7.
to use weasel words; be ambiguous; mislead: Upon cross-examination the witness began to weasel.
8.
Slang. to inform.
00:10
Weasel out
is always a great word to know.
So is interrobang. Does it mean:
| an extraordinary or unusual thing, person, or event; an exceptional example or instance. |
| a printed punctuation mark (‽), available only in some typefaces, designed to combine the question mark (?) and the exclamation point (!), indicating a mixture of query and interjection, as after a rhetorical question. |
Origin:
before 900; 1920–25 for def 6; Middle English wesele, Old English wesle, weosule; cognate with Old High German wisula, German Wiesel
before 900; 1920–25 for def 6; Middle English wesele, Old English wesle, weosule; cognate with Old High German wisula, German Wiesel
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
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Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
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Link To weasel out
Collins
World English Dictionary
weasel (ˈwiːzəl) ![[Click for IPA pronunciation guide]](http://static.sfdict.com/dictstatic/g/d/dictionary_questionbutton_default.gif) | |
| —n , pl -sels, -sel | |
| 1. | any of various small predatory musteline mammals of the genus Mustela and related genera, esp M. nivalis (European weasel), having reddish-brown fur, an elongated body and neck, and short legs |
| 2. | informal a sly or treacherous person |
| 3. | chiefly (US) a motor vehicle for use in snow, esp one with caterpillar tracks |
| [Old English weosule, wesle; related to Old Norse visla, Old High German wisula, Middle Dutch wesel] | |
| 'weaselly | |
| —adj | |
| weasel out | |
| —vb , (US) -sels, -selling, -selled, -seling, -seled | |
| 1. | to go back on a commitment |
| 2. | to evade a responsibility, esp in a despicable manner |
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
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2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
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Etymonline
Word Origin & History
weasel
O.E. weosule, wesle "weasel," from P.Gmc. *wisulon (cf. O.N. visla, M.Du. wesel, Du. wezel, O.H.G. wisula, Ger. Wiesel), probably related to P.Gmc. *wisand- "bison" (see bison), with a base sense of "stinking animal," because both animals have a foul, musky smell (cf. L. vissio
"stench"). The verb "to deprive (a word or phrase) of its meaning" is first attested 1900, so used because the weasel sucks out the contents of eggs, leaving the shell intact; the sense of "extricate oneself (from a difficult place) like a weasel" is first recorded 1925; that of "to evade and equivocate" is from 1956. A John Wesilheued ("John Weaselhead") turns up on the Lincolnshire Assize Rolls for 1384, but the name seems not to have endured, for some reason.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
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Slang Dictionary
weasel definition
|
Dictionary of American Slang and Colloquial Expressions by Richard A. Spears.Fourth Edition.
Copyright 2007. Published by McGraw Hill.
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Copyright 2007. Published by McGraw Hill.
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Easton
Bible Dictionary
Weasel definition
(Heb. holedh), enumerated among unclean animals (Lev. 11:29). Some think that this Hebrew word rather denotes the mole (Spalax typhlus) common in Palestine. There is no sufficient reason, however, to depart from the usual translation. The weasel tribe are common also in Palestine.
Easton's 1897 Bible Dictionary
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American Heritage
Idioms & Phrases
weasel out
Back out of a situation or commitment, especially in a sneaky way. For example, I'd love to weasel out of serving on the board. This expression alludes to the stealthy hunting and nesting habits of the weasel, a small, slender-bodied predator. [Colloquial; mid-1900s]
The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer.
Copyright © 1997. Published by Houghton Mifflin.
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Copyright © 1997. Published by Houghton Mifflin.
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Nearby Words
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