weazel

weazel

English

Noun

weazel (plural weazels)

1. Archaic form of weasel.
   • 1840, Frances Trollope, The Vicar of Wrexhill, London: Richard Bentley, Chapter III, pp. 304-5

     […] set fire to the library, and stifle him in it like a weazel as he is […]

   • 1888, J[ames] M[atthew] Barrie, “The Old Dominie”, in Auld Licht Idylls, London: Hodder and Stoughton, […], OCLC 580485, page 138:

     [H]e disappeared into his house much as a startled weazel makes for its hole.

   • 1924, Herman Melville, Billy Budd, London: Constable & Co., Chapter 8,

     Now the first time that his small weazel-eyes happened to light on Billy Budd, a certain grim internal merriment set all his ancient wrinkles into antic play.