Definition

Noun: * A dark brown mustelid (a mammal of the weasel family) native to the woodlands of Eurasia, known for releasing a strong, unpleasant-smelling secretion from its anal glands when threatened or alarmed. This animal is also commonly called the polecat.

Usage Notes

• The word foulmart is an archaic or dialectal term, primarily used in historical texts or specific regional contexts (like parts of the UK). In modern standard English, the animal is almost exclusively referred to as a polecat.
• The name "foulmart" is descriptive, deriving from "foul" (bad-smelling) and "mart" (an archaic word for a marten or similar animal), directly referencing its defensive odor.
• It is a countable noun (e.g., , ).

Examples

• The farmer set a trap, hoping to catch the foulmart that had been raiding his henhouse.
• In the old bestiary, the foulmart was described as a creature of the night with a most disagreeable scent.

Advanced Usage

• The term can be found in historical hunting literature and regional folklore, often contrasting with the "sweetmart" (the pine marten), which was considered to have a less offensive smell.

Variants and Related Words

• Polecat (n): The standard modern common name for the same animal ().
• Ferret (n): The domesticated form of the European polecat.
• Mustelid (n): The biological family name for weasels, badgers, otters, and related animals.

Synonyms

• Polecat (the primary synonym)
• European polecat
• Forest polecat

Antonyms

• There is no direct antonym for the animal itself. However, in the context of the name's origin, a conceptual opposite could be sweetmart (the pine marten).

Related Phrases & Idioms

• To smell like a foulmart: An archaic or dialectal simile meaning to smell very bad.
  • After working in the barn all day, he came in smelling like a foulmart.

Noun

1. dark brown mustelid of woodlands of Eurasia that gives off an unpleasant odor when threatened