polecat
/ˈpəʊlkæt/
"polecat" is a 7-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.
The verdict
“polecat” is uncommon English (frequency #94,133 among 46,516 “P” headwords), classed as a noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.
- #94,133
- frequency rank, English
- 46,516
- “P” headwords
According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - A weasel-like animal of the genus Mustela.
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Headword | polecat |
| Language | English |
| Part of speech | Noun |
| IPA | /ˈpəʊlkæt/ |
| Letters | 7 |
| Frequency rank | #94,133 |
| Misspellings tracked | 0 |
| Confusable pairs | 0 |
| Source | Wiktionary (kaikki.org) |
Where “polecat” sits in English frequency
Rare enough to double-check
polecat is uncommon English at frequency #94,133 among 46,516 “P” headwords, classed as anoun, transcribed /ˈpəʊlkæt/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 4 senses are on record.
polecat doesn't appear in our generated misspelling index, typically a sign the spelling maps closely to how the word sounds. This headword has no recorded confusable partner, which tends to mean the word is visually distinctive enough to stand on its own.
Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English polcat, pulkat, of uncertain origin. Perhaps from Middle English *pole, *poule (“hen”), from Old French poule (“hen”) + Middle English cat. Compare English foulmart. The correct English form is polecat, spelled P-O-L-E-C-A-T.
Definition
- 1A weasel-like animal of the genus Mustela.
- 2A weasel-like animal of the genus Mustela.
- 3A skunk.
- 4A tubular device used to support lights on a set.
Etymology
From Middle English polcat, pulkat, of uncertain origin. Perhaps from Middle English *pole, *poule (“hen”), from Old French poule (“hen”) + Middle English cat. Compare English foulmart.
This word in other languages
Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA); frequency ordering uses the FrequencyWords open word-frequency list (2018 English corpus, MIT). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do you spell "polecat"?
What does "polecat" mean?
How do you pronounce "polecat"?
What is the origin of the word "polecat"?
Is PlainSpell free to use?
Using “polecat”
The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.
- The one correct English spelling is P-O-L-E-C-A-T - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
- Say it as /ˈpəʊlkæt/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
- Browse more English words and confusable pairs in the same reference. English words
Other uncommon English words near this rank
Data Source
Wiktionary (via kaikki.org), licensed under CC BY-SA & GFDL. Word ordering uses an open word-frequency list; misspelling variants are generated by edit-distance from the correct headword.