Word Meanings - ERMINE - Book Publishers vocabulary database

A valuable fur-bearing animal of the genus Mustela (M. erminea), allied to the weasel; the stoat. It is found in the northern parts of Asia, Europe, and America. In summer it is brown, but in winter it becomes white, except the tip of the tail,

Additional info about word: ERMINE

A valuable fur-bearing animal of the genus Mustela (M. erminea), allied to the weasel; the stoat. It is found in the northern parts of Asia, Europe, and America. In summer it is brown, but in winter it becomes white, except the tip of the tail, which is always black. 2. The fur of the ermine, as prepared for ornamenting garments of royalty, etc., by having the tips of the tails, which are black, arranged at regular intervals throughout the white. 3. By metonymy, the office or functions of a judge, whose state robe, lined with ermine, is emblematical of purity and honor without stain. Chatham. (more info) 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, mus Armenius, the

Related words: (words related to ERMINE)

• WHITECAP
  The European redstart; -- so called from its white forehead. The whitethroat; -- so called from its gray head. The European tree sparrow. 2. A wave whose crest breaks into white foam, as when the wind is freshening.
• WHITE-FRONTED
  Having a white front; as, the white-fronted lemur. White- fronted goose , the white brant, or snow goose. See Snow goose, under Snow.
• WHITE FLY
  Any one of numerous small injurious hemipterous insects of the genus Aleyrodes, allied to scale insects. They are usually covered with a white or gray powder.
• EXCEPT
  1. To take or leave out from a number or a whole as not belonging to it; to exclude; to omit. Who never touched The excepted tree. Milton. Wherein all other things concurred. Bp. Stillingfleet. 2. To object to; to protest against. Shak.
• WHITESTER
  A bleacher of lines; a whitener; a whitster.
• WHITE-HEART
  A somewhat heart-shaped cherry with a whitish skin.
• ANIMALIZATION
  1. The act of animalizing; the giving of animal life, or endowing with animal properties. 2. Conversion into animal matter by the process of assimilation. Owen.
• BROWNBACK
  The dowitcher or red-breasted snipe. See Dowitcher.
• WHITESIDE
  The golden-eye.
• ANIMALCULISM
  The theory which seeks to explain certain physiological and pathological by means of animalcules.
• ALLICIENT
  That attracts; attracting. -- n.
• WINTER-BEATEN
  Beaten or harassed by the severe weather of winter. Spenser.
• ALLINEATION; ALINEEATION
  Alignment; position in a straight line, as of two planets with the sun. Whewell. The allineation of the two planets. C. A. Young.
• FOUNDATION
  The lowest and supporting part or member of a wall, including the base course , under Base, n.) and footing courses; in a frame house, the whole substructure of masonry. 4. A donation or legacy appropriated to support a charitable institution,
• NORTHERNMOST
  Farthest north.
• VALUABLENESS
  The quality of being valuable.
• WHITE-EAR
  The wheatear.
• ANIMALITY
  Animal existence or nature. Locke.
• WEASEL
  Any one of various species of small carnivores belonging to the genus Putorius, as the ermine and ferret. They have a slender, elongated body, and are noted for the quickness of their movements and for their bloodthirsty habit in destroying poultry,
• ALLITERAL
  Pertaining to, or characterized by alliteration.
• GALLIASS
  See GALLEASS
• WATER-BEARER
  The constellation Aquarius.
• DALLIANCE
  1. The act of dallying, trifling, or fondling; interchange of caresses; wanton play. Look thou be true, do not give dalliance Too mnch the rein. Shak. O, the dalliance and the wit, The flattery and the strifeTennyson. 2. Delay or procrastination.
• KAKARALLI
  A kind of wood common in Demerara, durable in salt water, because not subject to the depredations of the sea worm and barnacle.
• SCALLION
  A kind of small onion , native of Palestine; the eschalot, or shallot. 2. Any onion which does not "bottom out," but remains with a thick stem like a leek. Amer. Cyc.
• CORALLIGENOUS
  producing coral; coraligerous; coralliferous. Humble.
• CONFOUNDED
  1. Confused; perplexed. A cloudy and confounded philosopher. Cudworth. 2. Excessive; extreme; abominable. He was a most confounded tory. Swift. The tongue of that confounded woman. Sir. W. Scott.
• REALLIANCE
  A renewed alliance.
• IMPALLID
  To make pallid; to blanch. Feltham.
• HEPPELWHITE
  Designating a light and elegant style developed in England under George III., chiefly by Messrs. A.Heppelwhite & Co.
• HEMEROCALLIS
  A genus of plants, some species of which are cultivated for their beautiful flowers; day lily.
• HAEMATOCRYSTALLIN
  See HEMATOCRYSTALLIN