ermine
- ermine
-
noun
(plural ermines)
Etymology: Middle English, from Anglo-French hermin, of Germanic origin; akin to Old High German harmo weasel
Date: 12th century
1. or plural ermine
a. any of several weasels whose coats become white in winter usually with black on the tip of the tail; especially a short-tailed weasel (Mustela erminea) of the forests and tundra of Eurasia and North America
b. the white fur of the ermine
2. a rank or office whose ceremonial or official robe is ornamented with ermine
New Collegiate Dictionary.
2001.
:
Look at other dictionaries:
Ermine — Er mine, n. [OF. ermine, F. hermine, prob. of German origin; cf. OHG. harmo, G. hermelin, akin to Lith. szarm?, szarmonys, weasel, cf. AS. hearma; but cf. also LL. armelinus, armellina, hermellina, and pellis Armenia, the fur of the Armenian rat … The Collaborative International Dictionary of English
ermine — [ʉr′min] n. pl. ermines or ermine [ME & OFr ermin; OFr ermine, hermine, prob. < MHG hermin, erminelike < harme, ermine < OHG harmo, weasel (OE hearma): infl. by folk etym. assoc. with L ( mus) Armenius, Armenian (mouse)] 1. any of… … English World dictionary
ermine — late 12c., from O.Fr. ermine (12c., Mod.Fr. hermine), both the animal and the fur, apparently from a convergence of L. (mus) Armenius Armenian (mouse), ermines being abundant in Asia Minor; and an unrelated Germanic word for weasel (Cf. O.H.G.… … Etymology dictionary
Ermine — Er mine, v. t. To clothe with, or as with, ermine. [1913 Webster] The snows that have ermined it in the winter. Lowell. [1913 Webster] … The Collaborative International Dictionary of English
Ermine — f English: in origin perhaps a variant of HERMINE (SEE Hermine), but strongly influenced in popularity by association with the name of the fur (Old French ermine, medieval Latin armēnius (mūs) Armenian mouse) … First names dictionary
ermine — Ermine, Mus ponticus. Vide Harmol. Corol … Thresor de la langue françoyse
ermine — ► NOUN (pl. same or ermines) 1) a stoat. 2) the white winter fur of the stoat, used for trimming the ceremonial robes of judges or peers. ORIGIN Old French hermine, probably from Latin mus Armenius Armenian mouse … English terms dictionary
Ermine — Taxobox name = Ermine (or Stoat) status = LR/lc | status system = IUCN2.3 regnum = Animalia phylum = Chordata classis = Mammalia ordo = Carnivora familia = Mustelidae subfamilia = Mustelinae genus = Mustela species = M. erminea binomial = Mustela … Wikipedia
ermine — ermined, adj. /err min/, n., pl. ermines, (esp. collectively) ermine, adj. n. 1. an Old World weasel, Mustela erminea, having in its winter color phase a white coat with black at the tip of the tail. Cf. stoat. 2. any of various weasels having a… … Universalium
ermine — /ˈɜmən / (say ermuhn) noun (plural ermines, ermine) 1. the white colour phase of Mustela erminea, a small carnivore of the weasel family found in Europe, Asia and North America; the brown colour phase is called the stoat. Compare stoat. 2. the… …
