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Glite Dictionary
American mink

American mink

7.3
A North American animal that lives near water, has dark brown fur, and eats other animals
  • noun
  • /əˈmɛrɪkən mɪŋk/
  • US
translation icon : visón americano
  • The American mink was introduced to Europe for fur farming and has established wild populations there.

Examples

  • Conservationists are concerned about the impact of the American mink on native wildlife.

  • The rich brown fur of the American mink is highly prized in the fashion industry.

  • Look at that American mink swimming in the lake!

  • The American mink is known for its luxurious fur.

  • The American mink is a semi-aquatic animal that hunts fish and small mammals.

  • You can often spot the American mink near rivers and lakes, where it searches for food.

  • Many fur coats are made from the pelts of the American mink, known for their softness.

Synonyms

mink
vsAmerican mink
11 4.6

A small slim animal that lives near water and has soft dense fur

refers to the species native to North America with rich dark brown pelts
Mustela vison
vsAmerican mink
  • Specialized
9.9

A small animal that lives near water with dark brown fur from North America

is the everyday English name rather than the Latin scientific name
vison
vsAmerican mink
  • Archaic
9.9

A small wild animal with soft dark fur that lives near rivers in North America

is the common English name used alongside formal Latin names

Surface Forms

American mink singular
American minks plural

Morphology

American + mink

The meaning is directly compositional: 'American' specifies origin/nationality and 'mink' names the animal, so a learner who knows both words can infer it refers to a mink from America. This adjective + noun nationality pattern is cross-linguistically common and follows standard English compounding, making the expression immediately understandable to B1 learners.

Etymology

American mink is a simple name that tells you the animal and where it came from: mink may come from an old European word for a small, weasel-like animal, and American shows it is the kind from North America, so the name today means the North American fur-bearing mammal.