least weasel

noun

: a small weasel (Mustela nivalis) of northern North America, Eurasia, and northern Africa that is brown above and white below in summer and in its northern range usually all white in winter, that ranges in length from 6 to 10 inches (15.2 to 25.4 centimeters) including a tail that is usually 1 to 2.5 inches (2.5 to 6.4 centimeters) long, and that lacks the black-tipped tail found in the related short-tailed weasel and long-tailed weasel

Note: The least weasel is the smallest known carnivore and preys especially on small rodents (such as mice and voles).

Word History

First Known Use

1874, in the meaning defined above