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. (Zoöl.)
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.)
&fist; 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 (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.
Er"mine, v. t. To clothe with, or
as with, ermine.
The snows that have ermined it in the
winter.
Lowell.
