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Ferret as a Verb
Since the 14th century, English speakers have used ferret as the name of a small, slinky, domesticated mammal of the weasel family. The word came to us by way of Anglo-French and can be traced back to the Latin word fur, meaning "thief." These days ferrets are often kept as pets, but previously they were used to hunt rabbits, rats, and other vermin, and to drive them from their underground burrows. By the 15th century, the verb ferret was being used for the action of hunting with ferrets. By the late 16th century, the verb had taken on figurative uses as well. Today, we most frequently encounter the verb ferret in the sense of "to find and bring to light by searching."
Synonyms
Examples of ferret in a Sentence
Mckenzie Beard, Washington Post, 9 July 2024
In the United States alone, the report flags the exotic pet trade, live animal markets, bat guano harvesting, guinea pig and ferret farming, coyote and fox urine production, roadside zoos, animal fighting, fur farming, commercial farming and many other potentially dangerous settings.
—Karen Weintraub, USA TODAY, 21 July 2024
Cam Inman, The Mercury News, 18 July 2024
But for those who choose to ferret, there also comes a warning from Adam Simon, the Heat’s vice president of basketball operations and assistant general manager, who oversees the team’s draft.
—Ira Winderman, Sun Sentinel, 19 June 2024
See all Example Sentences for ferret 
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'ferret.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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“Ferret.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ferret. Accessed 19 Aug. 2024.
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ferret
1 of 2 noun
ferret
2 of 2 verb
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