Ermine Definition

ûrmĭn

ermines

noun

ermines

Any of several northern weasels having brown fur in summer and white fur with a black-tipped tail in winter, as the stoat.

Webster's New World

The soft, white fur of this animal, used for women's coats, trimming, etc.

Webster's New World

The position, rank, or functions of some European judges or peers, whose state robe is trimmed with ermine.

Webster's New World

A representation of a fur indicated by black spots on a white field.

Webster's New World

(poetic) A symbol of purity.

Wiktionary

Synonyms:

verb

To clothe with ermine.

Wiktionary

Other Word Forms of Ermine

Singular:

ermine

Plural:

ermines

From Middle English ermine, ermin, ermyn, from Old French ermin, ermine, hermine, from Old Dutch *harmino ‘stoat skin’, from *harmo ‘stoat, weasel’ (compare Dutch dialectal herm), from Proto-Germanic *harmōn (compare Old English hearma, Old High German harmo (adj. harmin, obsolete German Harm), from Proto-Indo-European *ḱormon (compare Romansch carmun, obsolete Lithuanian šarmuõ).

From Wiktionary
Middle English ermin from Old French ermine possibly of Germanic origin or from Medieval Latin (mūs) Armenius Armenian (mouse)

From American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition
Note: The supposed derivation from Medieval Latin mūs Armenius (“Armenian mouse”) is without any foundation.

From Wiktionary

Find similar words to ermine using the buttons below.