American musteline mammal typically ejecting an intensely malodorous fluid when startled; in some classifications put in a separate subfamily Mephitinae
dark brown mustelid of woodlands of Eurasia that gives off an unpleasant odor when threatened
A weasel-like animal of the genus Mustela.
The word polecat comes from Middle English and likely combines the words for "hen" and "cat." Its exact origin remains uncertain, though it may be related to the term foulmart.