The word for today is…
ferret (verb) – 1. (a) To hunt (rabbits, for example) with ferrets.
(b) To drive out, as from a hiding place; expel.
- To uncover and bring to light by searching. Often used with out.
- To hound or harry persistently; worry.
(noun) – 1. A domesticated mustelid mammal (Mustela furo syn. Mustela putorius subsp. furo) with an elongated flexible body, often kept as a pet and sometimes trained to hunt rats or rabbits.
- A black-footed ferret.
Source : The Free Dictionary
Etymology : Since the 14th century, English speakers have used ferret as the name of a small domesticated animal of the weasel family. The word came to us by way of Anglo-French and can be traced back to Latin fur, meaning “thief.” These days ferrets are often kept as pets, but previously they were used to hunt rabbits, rats, and other vermin, and to drive them from their underground burrows. By the 15th century, the verb ferret was being used of the action of hunting with ferrets. By the late 16th century, the verb had taken on figurative uses as well. Today, we most frequently encounter the verb ferret in the sense of “to find and bring to light by searching.”
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