Stoat (Noun)
Meaning
The ermine in its brown summer coat with black-tipped tail.
Classification
Nouns denoting animals.
Examples
- Early European naturalists referred to the ermine in its brown summer coat as a stoat.
- In its winter white coat, the stoat is often referred to as ermine.
- Although the terms are often used interchangeably, some authorities reserve "stoat" for the species in its brown phase.
- The stoat's brown coat with black-tipped tail is a distinctive sign of its summer plumage.
- In the wild, the stoat is usually encountered in its brown coat rather than its white ermine coat.