ferret English · revision 2207

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * IPA: /ˈfɛɹɪt/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[inh|enm|furet]],^(AHD)^(MW Collegiate)^(Barnhart 1995) [[bor|fro|furet]],^(AHD)^(Barnhart 1995)^(Etymonline) a diminutive of ''fuiron'' “weasel, ferret, thief”,^(Barnhart 1995)^(Etymonline) from Late Latin ''fūriō'',^(Barnhart 1995)^(Etymonline) or [[der|la-vul|*fūrittus|t=little thief]],^(AHD)^(MW Collegiate)^(RHWU) from Latin ''fūr'' “thief”,^(AHD)^(MW Collegiate)^(Barnhart 1995)^(Etymonline) [[der|ine-pro|*bher-|t=to bear, carry]].^(Etymonline)^(AHD) The animal was named for its slyness.^(Etymonline) It is related to ''furtive''.^(MW Collegiate)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ A half-tamed variety of polecat kept for driving rabbits from their burrows (1398).^(OED 1989) Barnhart dates the form ''furet'' to about 1350, Etymonline to the late 14th century.^(Barnhart 1995)^(Etymonline)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ The verb, “to hunt with ferrets”, dates from the 15th century (c1450).^(OED 1989)^(Barnhart 1995)^(Etymonline) Because the ferret flushes animals out of hiding, the verb took on the sense “to search out, bring to light”, usually ''ferret out'' (1577–87),^(OED 1989)^(Barnhart 1995)^(Etymonline) as well as “to worry, harry” (1599).^(OED 1989)^(AHD) A separate noun ''ferret'', a narrow tape, is probably from Italian ''fioretti'' “floss silk”.^(AHD)^(MW Collegiate)^(RHWU)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * 1398 – the half-tamed polecat.^(OED 1989)

+ * c1450 – verb, to hunt with ferrets.^(OED 1989)^(Barnhart 1995)

+ * 1577–87 – verb, to search out, discover.^(OED 1989)^(Barnhart 1995)

+ * 1599 – verb, to hunt after, worry.^(OED 1989)

+ * 1626 – figurative use of the noun.^(OED 1989)

+

+ ==Modern meaning==

+ ===Noun===

+ # A domesticated, usually albino or brownish mammal descended from the European polecat, used to hunt rats and rabbits.^(AHD)^(MW Collegiate)^(RHWU)^(Wiktionary)

+ # The black-footed ferret of North America.^(AHD)^(MW Collegiate)^(RHWU)^(Wiktionary)

+ # An active and persistent searcher.^(MW Collegiate)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ===Verb===

+ # To search out and bring to light; usually with ''out''.^(AHD)^(MW Collegiate)^(RHWU)^(Wiktionary)

+ # To hunt rabbits or rats with ferrets; to drive out of hiding.^(AHD)^(MW Collegiate)^(RHWU)^(Wiktionary)

+ # To search intensively; to rummage.^(AHD)^(MW Collegiate)

+ # To harry or worry persistently.^(AHD)^(MW Collegiate)^(RHWU)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[ferreter]]

+ * [[ferrety]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[furtive]]

+ * [[furtively]]

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}