Foulmart

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A small, musky-smelling mammal of the weasel family that is known for the foul odor it releases when threatened
2. An archaic name for a weasel-like carnivore with dark fur and a strong, unpleasant smell
3. The old term for a slender, dark-furred animal related to the weasel that emits a pungent musk

Etymology: The polecat, a creature whose name is literally "foul marten," was named for its smell before it was named for anything else. The word traces to Old English "fūl," meaning "foul," joined to "mearþ," the old word for marten, a small weasel-like animal. Over time the Middle English form "fulmard" softened and reshaped into "foumart," and the spelling "foulmart" is a variant of that same form. The naming makes sense once you know the animal's defence. The polecat releases a pungent, musky secretion when threatened, and the English settled on describing it by that odour rather than by its appearance. The "marten" half simply identified it as a member of the weasel family, so the whole compound reads as "the stinking weasel."

Synonyms: polecat, fitchew, fulmart