Small carnivorous mammals with elongated bodies and short legs, known for their agility and hunting prowess. Also used metaphorically to describe sneaky or untrustworthy people.
From Old English wesle, related to German Wiesel. The negative connotations developed because weasels were observed stealing eggs and small prey, leading to associations with cunning and theft in folklore.
Weasels can turn completely white in winter except for their black-tipped tails, and they're so fierce that a weasel can take down a rabbit ten times its size - hence why 'weaseling out' means escaping through cunning rather than strength!
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