polecat

• POS: Noun
• HYPHEN: pole=cat

CIDE DICTIONARY

polecat, n. [Probably fr. F. poule hen, and originally, a poultry cat, because it feeds on poultry. See Poultry.].

 A small European carnivore of the Weasel family (Putorius fœtidus). Its scent glands secrete a substance of an exceedingly disagreeable odor. Called also fitchet, foulmart, and European ferret.  [1913 Webster]

OXFORD DICTIONARY

polecat, n.
1 Brit. a small European brownish-black fetid flesh-eating mammal, Mustela putorius, of the weasel family.
2 US a skunk.

Etymology

pole (unexplained) + CAT

THESAURUS

polecat

Cape polecat, animal, ape, bar, bear, beast, cavy, chimp, chimpanzee, coon, cur, dog, ferret, foumart, glutton, groundhog, guinea pig, hedgehog, hound, hyena, insect, mongrel, monk, monkey, mousehound, opossum, pig, porcupine, possum, prairie dog, quill pig, raccoon, reptile, rotten egg, serpent, skunk, snake, stink ball, stink bomb, stinkard, stinker, stinkpot, swine, varmint, vermin, viper, weasel, whelp, whistle-pig, wolverine, woodchuck, worm, zoril

ROGET THESAURUS

polecat

Fetor

N fetor, bad, smell, bad odor, stench, stink, foul odor, malodor, empyreuma, mustiness, rancidity, foulness, stoat, polecat, skunk, assafoetida, fungus, garlic, stinkpot, fitchet, fitchew, fourmart, peccary, acridity, fetid, strong-smelling, high, bad, strong, fulsome, offensive, noisome, rank, rancid, reasty, tainted, musty, fusty, frouzy, olid, olidous, nidorous, smelling, stinking, putrid, suffocating, mephitic, empyreumatic.