Definition

1. Noun:

   • A domesticated animal: A small, domesticated carnivorous mammal, typically an albino variety of the European polecat, bred for hunting rabbits and rodents.
   • A wild mammal: A mustelid mammal (the black-footed ferret) native to North American prairie regions, now endangered.

2. Verb:

   • To search persistently: To search for something or discover information through persistent, determined, and often secretive investigation.
   • To hunt with ferrets: To hunt rabbits or rodents using ferrets.
   • To drive out or harass: To force someone or something out of a place or to harass them relentlessly.

Usage Examples

• Noun:

  • She keeps a ferret as a pet.
  • Conservation efforts are underway to save the black-footed ferret from extinction.

• Verb:

  • The detective will ferret for clues at the crime scene.
  • Farmers used to ferret rabbits from their burrows.
  • The journalist was determined to ferret out the facts of the case.

Advanced Usage

• "to ferret out": To discover something hidden or secret after a determined search.
  • It took months to ferret out the source of the corruption.
• "to ferret about/around": To rummage or search busily and persistently.
  • He began to ferret about in the drawer for the missing key.

Variants and Related Words

• Ferreter (n): A person who hunts with ferrets or searches persistently.
• Ferrety (adj): Resembling or characteristic of a ferret, especially having sharp, inquisitive features.
  • He had small, ferrety eyes.

Synonyms

• Noun: Polecat, weasel, mustelid.
• Verb: Rummage, search, probe, pry, nose, root out, uncover.

Related Phrasal Verbs

• Ferret out: To find something after a thorough and persistent search.
  • She managed to ferret out the old documents from the archive.
• Ferret around/about: To search for something by moving things around.
  • I had to ferret around in my bag to find my phone.

Related Idioms

• Like a ferret down a rabbit hole: Describing someone who is tenaciously and single-mindedly pursuing an investigation or search.
  • Once he gets an idea, he goes after it like a ferret down a rabbit hole.

Noun

1. domesticated albino variety of the European polecat bred for hunting rats and rabbits
2. musteline mammal of prairie regions of United States; nearly extinct

Verb

1. search and discover through persistent investigation
   • She ferreted out the truth
2. hunt with ferrets
3. hound or harry relentlessly