鼬

weasel (esp. the Japanese weasel, Mustela itatsi)

mustelid (any mammal of family Mustelidae)

Idiomatic expression

going round in circles; game of cat and mouse; pointless and repetitive back-and-forth

Historical term; Original meaning

itachi-gokko; Edo-period children's game in which two players alternately pinch the back of the other's hands and stack them on top of each other while saying "itachi-gokko, nezumi-gokko"

tiger shark (Galeocerdo cuvier)

goatsbeard brotula (species of ophidiiform fish, Brotula multibarbata)

false indigo (Amorpha fruticosa); bastard indigo; leadwort

ferret badger (esp. the Chinese ferret-badger, Melogale moschata)

cut in the skin caused by a vacuum formed by a whirlwind

mythical weasel-like creatures riding on whirlwinds and inflicting sharp, painless wounds

Word usually written using kana alone

Japanese marten (Martes melampus)

marten (any arboreal weasel-like mammal of genus Martes)

Idiomatic expression

final emergency measure; final defence when one is cornered

ferret

polecat (Mustela putorius); ferret; fitch

not writing or visiting someone; road of the weasel

stoat (Mustela erminea); ermine; short-tailed weasel

snubnose brotula; armoured cusk (Hoplobrotula armata)

Korean yellow weasel (Mustela sibirica coreana)

Japanese weasel (Mustela itatsi)

not to write to or visit someone; road of the weasel (it is believed that if someone blocks the path a weasel, he will never take that path again)

Rare term

mongoose