ermine

• POS: Noun
• HYPHEN: er=mine

CIDE DICTIONARY

ermine, 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.].

•  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.  [1913 Webster]
•  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.  [1913 Webster]
•  By metonymy, the office or functions of a judge, whose state robe, lined with ermine, is emblematical of purity and honor without stain.  Chatham.  [1913 Webster]
•  One of the furs. See Fur (Her.)  [1913 Webster]

  " 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."  [1913 Webster]

Ermine moth (Zoöl.), 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.

ermine, v. t. 

 To clothe with, or as with, ermine.  [1913 Webster]
"The snows that have ermined it in the winter."  [1913 Webster]

OXFORD DICTIONARY

ermine, n. (pl. same or ermines)
1 the stoat, esp. when in its white winter fur.
2 its white fur, used as trimming for the robes of judges, peers, etc.
3 Heraldry a white fur marked with black spots.

Derivative

ermined adj.

Etymology

ME f. OF (h)ermine prob. f. med.L (mus) Armenius Armenian (mouse)

THESAURUS

ermine

Australian seal, achievement, alerion, animal charge, annulet, argent, armorial bearings, armory, arms, azure, bandeau, bar, bar sinister, baton, bearings, bearskin, beaver, beaverette, bend, bend sinister, billet, black fox, black marten, black sable, blazon, blazonry, bordure, broad arrow, brook mink, buckskin, cadency mark, calf, calfskin, canton, cap of dignity, cap of maintenance, capeskin, cat, chaplet, charge, chevron, chief, chinchilla, chinchillette, coast seal, coat of arms, cockatrice, coney, coronet, cowhide, crescent, crest, cross, cross moline, crown, deerskin, device, diadem, difference, differencing, doeskin, eagle, electric seal, ermines, erminites, erminois, escutcheon, falcon, fess, fess point, field, file, flanch, fleece, fleur-de-lis, fox, fret, fur, furs, fusil, garland, genet, goatskin, great seal, griffin, gules, gyron, hatchment, helmet, heraldic device, honor point, impalement, impaling, inescutcheon, jaguar, label, lapin, leopard, lion, lozenge, mantling, marmot, marshaling, marten, martlet, mascle, merino, metal, mink, mole, moleskin, monkey, motto, mullet, muskrat, nombril point, nutria, octofoil, or, orb, ordinary, orle, otter, pale, paly, pean, pelts, pheon, pigskin, privy seal, purple, purple pall, purpure, quarter, quartering, rabbit, rabbitskin, raccoon, regalia, robe of state, rod, rod of empire, rose, royal crown, sable, saltire, scepter, scutcheon, seal, shagreen, sheepskin, shield, signet, skunk, spread eagle, squirrel, subordinary, tenne, tiara, tiger, tincture, torse, tressure, triple plume, unicorn, uraeus, vair, vert, white fox, wool, wreath, yale

ROGET THESAURUS

ermine

Scepter

N scepter, regalia, caduceus, Mercury's rod, Mercury's staff, Mercury's wand, rod of empire, mace, fasces, wand, staff, staff of office, baton, truncheon, flag, ensign of authority, emblem of authority, badge of authority, insignia of authority, throne, chair, musnud, divan, dais, woolsack, toga, pall, mantle, robes of state, ermine, purple, crown, coronet, diadem, tiara, cap of maintenance, decoration, title, portfolio, key, signet, seals, talisman, helm, reins.

Ornament

N ornament, floridness c, adj, turgidity, turgescence, altiloquence, declamation, teratology, well-rounded periods, elegance, orotundity, inversion, antithesis, alliteration, paronomasia, figurativeness, flourish, flowers of speech, flowers of rhetoric, frills of style, euphuism, euphemism, big-sounding words, high-sounding words, macrology, sesquipedalia verba, Alexandrine, inflation, pretension, rant, bombast, fustian, prose run mad, fine writing, sesquipedality, Minerva press, phrasemonger, euphuist, euphemist, ornament, beautified, ornate, florid, rich, flowery, euphuistic, euphemistic, sonorous, high-sounding, big-sounding, inflated, swelling, tumid, turgid, turgescent, pedantic, pompous, stilted, orotund, high flown, high flowing, sententious, rhetorical, declamatory, grandiose, grandiloquent, magniloquent, altiloquent, sesquipedal, sesquipedalian, Johnsonian, mouthy, bombastic, fustian, frothy, flashy, flaming, antithetical, alliterative, figurative, artificial, ore rutundo, ornament, ornamentation, ornamental art, ornature, ornateness, adornment, decoration, embellishment, architecture, jewelry, garnish, polish, varnish, French polish, veneer, japanning, lacquer, gilding, plating, ormolu, enamel, cloisonn_e, cosmetics (in general), makeup, eye shadow, rouge, face powder, lipstick, blush, pattern, diaper, powdering, paneling, graining, pargeting, detail, repousse (convexity), texture, richness, tracery, molding, fillet, listel, strapwork, coquillage, flourish, fleur-de-lis, arabesque, fret, anthemion, egg and tongue, egg and dart, astragal, zigzag, acanthus, cartouche, pilaster, bead, beading, champleve ware, cloisonne ware, frost work, Moresque, Morisco, tooling, embroidery, brocade, brocatelle, galloon, lace, fringe, trapping, border, edging, trimming, hanging, tapestry, arras, millinery, ermine, drap d'or, wreath, festoon, garland, chaplet, flower, nosegay, bouquet, posy, daisies pied and violets blue, tassel knot, shoulder knot, apaulette, epaulet, aigulet, frog, star, rosette, bow, feather, plume, pompom, panache, aigrette, finery, frippery, gewgaw, gimcrack, tinsel, spangle, clinquant, pinchbeck, paste, excess of ornament, gaud, pride, illustration, illumination, vignette, fleuron, head piece, tail piece, cul-de-lampe, flowers of rhetoric, work of art, ornamented, beautified, ornate, rich, gilt, begilt, tesselated, festooned, champleve, cloisonne, topiary, smart, gay, trickly, flowery, glittering, new gilt, new spangled, fine as a Mayday queen, fine as a fivepence, fine as a carrot fresh scraped, pranked out, bedight, well-groomed, in full dress, dressed to kill, dressed to the nines, dressed to advantage, in Sunday best, en grand tenue, en grande toilette, in best bib and tucker, endimanche, showy, flashy, gaudy, garish, gairish, gorgeous, ornamental, decorative, becoming.