From Middle English stote (“the ermine, especially in its brown summer coat”), of uncertain origin. The word bears some resemblance to Old Norse stutr (“bull”), Swedish stut (“bull, steer”) and Danish stud (“steer”) (see also English stot), but the semantic link is difficult unless a common origin is from “(brown?) male mammal”. First attested in the mid 1400s.
Meanings
Mustela erminea, the ermine or short-tailed weasel, a mustelid native to Eurasia and North America, distinguished from the least weasel by its larger size and longer tail with a prominent black tip.
European stoats were long ago introduced to New Zealand (along with ferrets and weasels!) in the mistaken belief that they would control the burgeoning populations of introduced rabbits. 2005, T. C. R. White, Why Does the World Stay Green?: Nutrition and Survival of Plant-eaters, page 91:
I have never seen Stoats hunt in packs, but it is certain both Weasels and Stoats do so. 1886, Transactions of the Edinburgh Naturalists' Field Club, volume 1, page 135:
In 1953 it was reported that the stoat had increased to a high population level, but that the weasel introduced at the same time had disappeared (de Vos et al. 1956). 2003, John Long, Introduced Mammals of the World: Their History, Distribution and Influence, page 272:
Unclear. Attested in the spellings stott, stot, stote and stoat, all said (in early texts) to be pronounced the same as stoat. Possibly related to the animal stoat whose fur is used in making garments, or to stot(t) (“bounce, rebound”) as the stitch 'rebounds' off and does not pass through to the other side of the material.
Meanings
(transitive) To stitch (edges of relatively thick cloth, fur, etc, for example on either side of a join or tear) together in a way that is invisible from the 'front', by sewing part of the way into and then back out of the thickness of the material from the 'back' side (without the thread going all the way through to the 'front' side of the material).
[…] ; in fact, before sewing in the sleeve, it would not be a bad plan to crease over, making line X the crease, and line O the fall; for stiff, hard materials, it would be better to stoat a piece like fig. 12 to line X. , The Gentleman's Magazine of Fashion
The tear to be stoated must have firm edges; it is impossible to stoat ravelled edges such as most serges have. The cloths which give the best results are vicunas, boxcloths, closely woven tweeds, meltons, and overcoatings. 1901, Paul Nooncree Hasluck (editor), Tailoring (part of the “Work” Handbooks series), page 21
to stoat two very ravelled edges 1897 August 14, Work: The Illustrated Weekly Journal for Mechanics, volume XIV, number 439, published in collected form