鼬 (yòu) - Weasel — a small carnivorous mammal with a & often refers to various species of mustelids including

鼬Tone 4

yòu ｜ 18 strokes ｜ radical:

咏与

鼬 · yòu

Weasel — a small carnivorous mammal with a slender body and short legs;

often refers to various species of mustelids including weasels, ferrets, and polecats.

Weasel — a small carnivorous mammal with aoften refers to various species of mustelids including

Usage highlights

Weasel familyYellow weaselStoat/ermineFerretPolecatWeasel's den

Synonyms

  • 黄鼠狼— Yellow weasel (common name)
  • 黄鼬— Yellow weasel (scientific name)
  • 貂— Marten/mink (related mustelid)

Usage & contexts

Examples

  • The weasel (鼬) is known for its slender body and hunting ability.
  • We saw a ferret (雪貂) which belongs to the weasel family (鼬科).
  • The stoat (白鼬) changes its coat color seasonally.
  • This area has many polecats (鸡鼬) that hunt rodents.

Collocations

  • Weasel family(鼬科)
  • Yellow weasel(黄鼬)
  • Stoat/ermine(白鼬)
  • Ferret(雪貂)
  • Polecat(鸡鼬)
  • Weasel's den(鼬穴)

Idioms

  • Fox and weasel in the same hole(狐鼬同穴)
  • Yellow weasel paying New Year's visit to chicken — harboring ill intentions(黄鼠狼给鸡拜年 — 没安好心)
  • Weasel's fart — stinky but small(鼬屁 — 臭而小)

Cultural background

FAQ
  • In Chinese folklore, weasels (especially yellow weasels) are often associated with supernatural beings and are considered one of the 'Five Great Immortals' in folk religion.
  • Weasels are frequently depicted as cunning and tricky animals in traditional stories and idioms.
  • The character 鼬 appears in the name of the popular manga/anime character Uchiha Itachi (宇智波鼬), where it means weasel.

FAQ