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weasel out

 - 5 dictionary results

wea⋅sel

  [wee-zuhl] noun, plural -sels, (especially collectively) -sel, verb
Use weasel out in a Sentence
–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 fol. 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.
Origin:
bef. 900; 1920–25 for def. 6; ME wesele, OE wesle, weosule; c. OHG wisula, G Wiesel
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
Cite This Source Link To weasel out
wea·sel   (wē'zəl)   
n.  

  1. Any of various carnivorous mammals of the genus Mustela, having a long slender body, a long tail, short legs, and brownish fur that in many species turns white in winter.

  2. A person regarded as sneaky or treacherous.

intr.v.   wea·seled also wea·selled, wea·sel·ing also wea·sel·ling, wea·sels also wea·sels
To be evasive; equivocate.
Phrasal Verb(s):
weasel out Informal To back out of a situation or commitment in a sneaky or cowardly manner.

[Middle English wesele, from Old English wesle.]
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Slang Dictionary
weasel

  1. n.
    a sneaky person. : If Fred weren't such a weasel, we could get along better.
  2. n.
    an earnest student. (Collegiate.) : Martin is your classic weasel.
Dictionary of American Slang and Colloquial Expressions by Richard A. Spears.Fourth Edition.
Copyright 2007. Published by McGraw Hill.
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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, © 2001 Douglas Harper
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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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