What Is a Group of Ferrets Called? You're Such a Busybody

The term "business" for a group of ferrets likely arose from a mistake. In the Middle Ages, English hunters compiled lists of collective nouns for animals. Many of these were based on behaviors or characteristics: a murder of crows, a pride" of lions—and yes, a business of ferrets.

But here's the catch: The original term might have been "busyness," describing how ferrets scurry and dart like they're late for a meeting. Over time, that busy nature got copied incorrectly as "business," and it stuck.

Scholar John Hodgkin of the Philological Society pointed out this transcription error in a 1909 study, noting how the early years of list-copying led to some patently obvious oddities.

Many proper terms for animal groups began as tongue-in-cheek or poetic expressions. Joseph Strutt's account of medieval customs included similar lists, often copied from even earlier sources.

Errors in transcription, especially in the era before standardized spelling, led to collective nouns that make modern readers raise an eyebrow.

Ferrets are not naturally social animals. In the wild, especially black-footed ferrets native to North America, they live mostly solitary lives in burrows and only pair up to mate. Preferring to hunt alone and avoid other ferrets, they don't act like your typical pack animal.

There are specific terms for these solitary animals as well: They're also called hobs (males), jills (females), and kits (babies).

Domestic ferrets, on the other hand, have been bred for centuries to be pets. They often live together, nap in piles, and share food bowls.

Historically, ferrets were used to catch rabbits and other small prey by slipping into burrows. That trait earned them a place in many hunting phrases and group terms. But modern ferrets are more likely to treat your couch cushions like a burrow and your socks like prey.

Today, vets and ferret owners still use the term "business" more as tradition than taxonomy. It’s a label that stuck, even if it started with a slip of the pen.

Understanding where "a business of ferrets" came from shows how language evolves—and how humans love labeling things, even animals that prefer to be left alone.

It’s also a reminder to question what sounds official. Not every term was created with scientific rigor; some just survived centuries of misunderstandings.

We created this article in conjunction with AI technology, then made sure it was fact-checked and edited by a HowStuffWorks editor.