Ermine
- Ermine
- Ermine Er"mine, n. [OF. ermine, F. hermine, prob. of German
origin; 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 animal being found
also in Armenia.]
1. (Zo["o]l.) 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.
[1913 Webster]
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.
[1913 Webster]
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.
[1913 Webster]
4. (Her.) One of the furs. See {Fur} (Her.)
[1913 Webster]
Note: Ermine is represented by an argent field, tufted with
black. Ermines is the reverse of ermine, being black,
spotted or timbered with argent. Erminois is the same
as ermine, except that or is substituted for argent.
[1913 Webster]
{Ermine moth} (Zo["o]l.), a white moth with black spots (esp.
{Yponomeuta padella} of Europe); -- so called on account
of the resemblance of its covering to the fur of the
ermine; also applied to certain white bombycid moths of
America.
[1913 Webster]
The Collaborative International Dictionary of English.
2000.
:
Look at other dictionaries:
ermine — [ʉr′min] n. pl. ermines or ermine [ME & OFr ermin; OFr ermine, hermine, prob. < MHG hermin, erminelike < harme, ermine < OHG harmo, weasel (OE hearma): infl. by folk etym. assoc. with L ( mus) Armenius, Armenian (mouse)] 1. any of… … English World dictionary
ermine — late 12c., from O.Fr. ermine (12c., Mod.Fr. hermine), both the animal and the fur, apparently from a convergence of L. (mus) Armenius Armenian (mouse), ermines being abundant in Asia Minor; and an unrelated Germanic word for weasel (Cf. O.H.G.… … Etymology dictionary
Ermine — Er mine, v. t. To clothe with, or as with, ermine. [1913 Webster] The snows that have ermined it in the winter. Lowell. [1913 Webster] … The Collaborative International Dictionary of English
Ermine — f English: in origin perhaps a variant of HERMINE (SEE Hermine), but strongly influenced in popularity by association with the name of the fur (Old French ermine, medieval Latin armēnius (mūs) Armenian mouse) … First names dictionary
ermine — Ermine, Mus ponticus. Vide Harmol. Corol … Thresor de la langue françoyse
ermine — ► NOUN (pl. same or ermines) 1) a stoat. 2) the white winter fur of the stoat, used for trimming the ceremonial robes of judges or peers. ORIGIN Old French hermine, probably from Latin mus Armenius Armenian mouse … English terms dictionary
Ermine — Taxobox name = Ermine (or Stoat) status = LR/lc | status system = IUCN2.3 regnum = Animalia phylum = Chordata classis = Mammalia ordo = Carnivora familia = Mustelidae subfamilia = Mustelinae genus = Mustela species = M. erminea binomial = Mustela … Wikipedia
ermine — ermined, adj. /err min/, n., pl. ermines, (esp. collectively) ermine, adj. n. 1. an Old World weasel, Mustela erminea, having in its winter color phase a white coat with black at the tip of the tail. Cf. stoat. 2. any of various weasels having a… … Universalium
ermine — /ˈɜmən / (say ermuhn) noun (plural ermines, ermine) 1. the white colour phase of Mustela erminea, a small carnivore of the weasel family found in Europe, Asia and North America; the brown colour phase is called the stoat. Compare stoat. 2. the… …
ermine — noun (plural ermines) Etymology: Middle English, from Anglo French hermin, of Germanic origin; akin to Old High German harmo weasel Date: 12th century 1. or plural ermine a. any of several weasels whose coats become white in winter usually with… … New Collegiate Dictionary
