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ermine

more about ermine

ermine


  4  definitions  found 
 
  From  Webster's  Revised  Unabridged  Dictionary  (1913)  [web1913]: 
 
  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. 
 
  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. 
 
  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. 
 
  4.  (Her.)  One  of  the  furs.  See  {Fur}  (Her.) 
 
  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. 
 
  {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. 
 
  From  Webster's  Revised  Unabridged  Dictionary  (1913)  [web1913]: 
 
  Ermine  \Er"mine\,  v.  t. 
  To  clothe  with  or  as  with  ermine. 
 
  The  snows  that  have  ermined  it  in  the  winter.  --Lowell. 
 
  From  WordNet  r  1.6  [wn]: 
 
  ermine 
  n  1:  the  expensive  white  fur  of  the  ermine 
  2:  mustelid  of  northern  hemisphere  in  its  white  winter  coat 
  [syn:  {shorttail  weasel},  {Mustela  erminea}] 
 
  From  U.S.  Gazetteer  (1990)  [gazetteer]: 
 
  Ermine,  KY 
  Zip  code(s):  41815 




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