musteline

[ muhs-tl-ahyn, -in ]

adjective
  1. belonging or pertaining to the family Mustelidae, including the martens, skunks, minks, weasels, badgers, and otters.

  2. resembling a weasel.

  1. tawny or brown, like a weasel in summer.

Origin of musteline

1
1650–60; <Latin mustēlīnus, equivalent to mustēl(a) weasel + -īnus-ine1

Words Nearby musteline

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use musteline in a sentence

  • The small mandibular ramus of a musteline referred by Dr. Roth to Mephitis suffocans, does not pertain to this genus and species.

    Through the Heart of Patagonia | H. Hesketh Prichard

British Dictionary definitions for musteline

musteline

/ (ˈmʌstɪˌlaɪn, -lɪn) /


adjective
  1. of, relating to, or belonging to the Mustelidae, a family of typically predatory mammals including weasels, ferrets, minks, polecats, badgers, skunks, and otters: order Carnivora (carnivores)

noun
  1. any musteline animal

Origin of musteline

1
C17: from Latin mustēlīnus, from mustēla weasel, from mūs mouse + -tēla, of unknown origin

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