noun
ermine
UR-mihn
noun
1
A small weasel found in cold northern regions, whose brown fur turns white in winter except for a black-tipped tail.
"The ermine's white winter coat makes it almost invisible in the snow."
2
The white winter fur of this animal, traditionally used to trim ceremonial robes and long associated with royalty and judges.
"The judge's robe was trimmed with ermine."
How to Use Ermine
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishA small white-furred weasel, or the luxurious fur itself, traditionally linked to royal and judicial robes.
Common pairings
trimmed with ermine
ermine robe
Word Forms
ermined past tense, ermines plural, ermine plural, ermines singular
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The _____'s white winter coat makes it almost invisible in the snow.
Etymology
From Old French ermine, possibly from a Germanic word for the weasel or linked to the word for "Armenian," since traders once associated the fur with Armenia.