polecat
A skunk, or a low-down person who acts like one.
Also called skunk.
Updated September 24, 2026
polecat pronunciation
/POLE-kat/
Meaning
In Southern and Appalachian talk, a polecat is usually a skunk. Older country speakers grew up saying polecat where town folks said skunk. You can also call a sneaky or no-good person a polecat. Either way, you do not want one under the porch.
How folks use it
- “Don't mess with that polecat or you'll smell it all week.”
- “That polecat stole tools out of my shed again.”
Origin and etymology
English polecat first named a foul-smelling European weasel, maybe from poultry-thief or from a word for stinking. By the 1680s settlers stretched the name to North American skunks for the same reason: the smell. DARE finds the skunk sense more frequent in the South and Southern Midland, with the insult sense recorded there too.
Frequently asked questions
Is a polecat different from a skunk?
In most Southern talk, no. Polecat is the country name for the same striped stinker. Europe has a real weasel called a polecat, but that is not what grandma meant.