Definition: Ferret

I found an interesting definition of Ferret

Definition: mustela or putorius furo

Source: WordNet (r) 1.7

ferret
n 1: ferret of prairie regions of United States; nearly extinct [syn: black-footed ferret, Mustela nigripes]
2: domesticated albino variety of the European polecat bred for hunting rats and rabbits
v 1: hound or harry relentlessly
2: hunt with ferrets
3: search and discover through persistent investigation; "She ferreted out the truth" [syn: ferret out]

Source: Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913)

Ferret \Fer"ret\, n. [Ital. foretto, dim. of fiore flower; or F. fleuret. Cf. Floret.]
A kind of narrow tape, usually made of woolen; sometimes of cotton or silk; -- called also ferreting.

Ferret \Fer"ret\, n. [F. feret, dim. or fer iron, L. ferrum.]
(Glass Making)
The iron used for trying the melted glass to see if is fit to work, and for shaping the rings at the mouths of bottles.

Ferret \Fer"ret\, n. [F. furet, cf. LL. furo; prob. fr. L. fur thief (cf. Furtive); cf. Arm. fur wise, sly.] (Zo["o]l.)
An animal of the Weasel family (Mustela or Putorius furo), about fourteen inches in length, of a pale yellow or white color, with red eyes. It is a native of Africa, but has been domesticated in Europe. Ferrets are used to drive rabbits and rats out of their holes.

Ferret \Fer"ret\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Ferreted; p. pr. & vb. n. Ferreting.] [Cf. F. fureter. See Ferret, n.]
To drive or hunt out of a lurking place, as a ferret does the cony; to search out by patient and sagacious efforts; -- often used with out; as, to ferret out a secret.

Master Fer! I'll fer him, and firk him, and ferret him.
--Shak.


Source: Easton's 1897 Bible Dictionary

Ferret
Lev. 11:30 (R.V., "gecko"), one of the unclean creeping things. It was perhaps the Lacerta gecko which was intended by the Hebrew word (anakah, a cry, "mourning," the creature which groans) here used, i.e., the "fan-footed" lizard, the gecko which makes a mournful wail. The LXX. translate it by a word meaning "shrew-mouse," of which there are three species in Palestine. The Rabbinical writers regard it as the hedgehog. The translation of the Revised Version is to be preferred.

http://dictionary.die.net/ferret

Definition: European ferret

Source: Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913)

Polecat \Pole"cat`\, n. [Probably fr. F. poule hen, and originally, a poultry cat, because it feeds on poultry. See Poultry.] (Zo["o]l.)
(a) A small European carnivore of the Weasel family (Putorius f[oe]tidus). Its scent glands secrete a substance of an exceedingly disagreeable odor. Called also fitchet, foulmart, and European ferret.
(b) The zorilla. The name is also applied to other allied species.

Foumart \Fou"mart`\, n. [OE. folmard, fulmard; AS. f?l foul + mear?, meard, marten: cf. F. marte, martre. See Foul, a., and Marten the quadruped.] (Zo["o]l.)
The European polecat; -- called also European ferret, and fitchew. See Polecat. [Written also foulmart, foulimart, and fulimart.]

http://dictionary.die.net/european%20ferret