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You are here: Home / Language / Where does the word “Polecat” come from and What does Polecat mean in French?

Where does the word “Polecat” come from and What does Polecat mean in French?

May 27, 2020 by Karen Hill

The Polecat is a cat, sometimes called “pussy,” that is fond of poles, not, however, the kind stuck in the ground.

This pole, back in the fourteenth century, was a French word which, in modern French, is spelled poule.

It means a chicken.

For the polecat is a chicken thief, just as is its American cousin, the skunk.

Incidentally, the European polecat does not have the broad stripe down the back, so characteristic of the American skunk.

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Filed Under: Language

About Karen Hill

Karen Hill is a freelance writer, editor, and columnist. Born in New York, her work has appeared in the Examiner, Yahoo News, Buzzfeed, among others.

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