weasels

1. 1
   noun

   Plural of weasel.

   Several weasels darted through the underbrush along the riverbank.

   Gamekeepers once shot weasels on sight to protect young rabbits and birds.

   Note

   One plural serves every animal the noun names: the slender carnivores of Mustela, Neogale, Poecilogale and Lyncodon, the least weasel in particular, and other members of the Mustelidae. It also counts people, and there it is derogatory and informal: a room full of weasels is a room full of devious types. Spinners use the same plural for their yardage-counting yarn winders, the ones with a peg that pops up.

2. 2
   verb

   Third-person singular simple present of weasel.

   Whenever a deadline looms, he weasels his way into an extension.

   The contractor weasels out of warranty claims with vague fine print.

   Note

   All three of the verb's patterns run through this present-tense form. It can take a plain object (she weasels a better deal) or a reflexive one for gains kept for oneself (he weasels himself a promotion). It can also stand with no object at all (he always weasels). Each implies cleverness turned toward deviousness. Out of context, the spelling may equally be the plural of the animal.

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