ermine
A weasel found in northern latitudesA weasel found in northern latitudes (Mustela erminea in Eurasia, Alaska, and the Arctic, Mustela haidarum in Haida Gwaii, Mustela richardsonii in the rest of North America); its dark brown fur turns white in winter, apart from the black tip of the tail.
» The prince only wore the ermine cloak once.
Der Prinz trug den Hermelinumhang nur einmal.
Meaning
5 senses(countable, uncountable)A weasel found in northern latitudes (Mustela erminea in Eurasia, Alaska, and the Arctic, Mustela haidarum in Haida Gwaii, Mustela richardsonii in the rest of North America); its dark brown fur turns white in winter, apart from the black tip of the tail.
Hermelin
горноста́йgornostáj
горноста́йhornostáj
(countable, uncountable)The white fur of this animal, traditionally seen as a symbol of purity and used for judges' robes.
Hermelin
горноста́йgornostáj
the expensive white fur of the ermine
(broadly, countable, figuratively, uncountable)The office of a judge.
(countable, uncountable)The fur of this animal, used as a heraldic tincture: a white field with a repeating pattern of stylized black spots.
Hermelin
(countable, uncountable)Any of various moths, especially in the family Yponomeutidae
Examples
2 sentencesThe prince only wore the ermine cloak once.
deDer Prinz trug den Hermelinumhang nur einmal.
My trail camera has yet to capture a white-furred ermine.
Translations
9 languagesBy meaning 1
By meaning 1
By meaning 1
Origin
From Middle English ermine, ermin, ermyn, from Old French ermin, ermine, hermine.From Middle English ermine, ermin, ermyn, from Old French ermin, ermine, hermine.
Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0 · source
Forms
plural: ermines / ermineSynonyms
4 synonyms- mustelid of Northern Hemisphere in its white winter coat:shorttail weaselMustela erminea
Word family
6 related wordsLessons for this word
2 lessons- A1Plural nouns — Because its plural is irregular
- A1Countable and uncountable nouns — Because it can be uncountable