fitchew
See also: Fitchew
English
Etymology
From Middle English fitchewes (mistaken as a plural), variant of Middle English fichouse, ficheux, from Old French fissiauls (plural) and fichau, fissel (“polecat”), from Middle Dutch vitsche, visse, fisse (“polecat”), ultimately (via a Northern French dialect) from Latin vissiō (“stench”). Compare French vison (“mink”).
Noun
fitchew (plural fitchews)
- (obsolete) polecat
Further reading
- van der Sijs, Nicoline, editor (2010), “visse”, in Etymologiebank, Meertens Institute