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ermine
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English Dictionary: ermine by the DICT Development Group
4 results for ermine
From WordNet (r) 3.0 (2006) [wn]:
ermine
n
  1. the expensive white fur of the ermine
  2. mustelid of northern hemisphere in its white winter coat
    Synonym(s): ermine, shorttail weasel, Mustela erminea
From Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) [web1913]:
   Ermine \Er"mine\, 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.]
      1. (Zo[94]l.) 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.
  
      2. 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.
  
      3. By metonymy, the office or functions of a judge, whose
            state robe, lined with ermine, is emblematical of purity
            and honor without stain. --Chatham.
  
      4. (Her.) One of the furs. See {Fur} (Her.)
  
      Note: 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.
  
      {Ermine moth} (Zo[94]l.), 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.

From Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) [web1913]:
   Ermine \Er"mine\, v. t.
      To clothe with, or as with, ermine.
  
               The snows that have ermined it in the winter. --Lowell.

From U.S. Gazetteer (1990) [gazetteer]:
   Ermine, KY
      Zip code(s): 41815
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