Ermine

  • 1Ermine — 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

  • 2ermine — [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

  • 3ermine — 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

  • 4Ermine — 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

  • 5Ermine — 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

  • 6ermine — Ermine, Mus ponticus. Vide Harmol. Corol …

    Thresor de la langue françoyse

  • 7ermine — ► 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

  • 8Ermine — 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

  • 9ermine — 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

  • 10ermine — /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… …