ETYM Old Fren. ermine, French hermine, prob. of German origin; cf. Old High Germ. harmo, German hermelin.
1. Mustelid of northern hemisphere in its white winter coat; SYN. shorttail weasel, Mustela erminea.
2. The expensive white fur of the ermine.
Short-tailed weasel Mustela erminea, of the N hemisphere, whose winter coat becomes white. In N latitudes the coat becomes completely white, except for a black tip to the tail, but in warmer regions the back may remain brownish. The alternate Eurasian name “stoat” is used especially during the summer, when the coat is brown. The fur is used commercially. + prikaži više