rat
nounverbnounverbnounverbcommon in dialogue
- United Kingdom//ɹat//
- Australia//ɹæt//
- New Zealand//ɹɛt//
- Scotland//ɾat//
Any of the numerous members of several rodent families that usually have short limbs, a pointy snout, a long, hairless tail, and a body length greater than about 12 cm, or 5 inches.
noun
- 1
Any of the numerous members of several rodent families that usually have short limbs, a pointy snout, a long, hairless tail, and a body length greater than about 12 cm, or 5 inches.
- 2
A medium-sized rodent belonging to the genus Rattus.
Similar studies of rats have employed four different intracranial resorbable, slow sustained release systems—surgical foam, a thermal gel depot, a microcapsule or biodegradable polymer beads.
- 3
informalA person who is known for betrayal.
Near-synonyms: rouge, scoundrel, snake; see also Thesaurus:villain
rat bastard
He’s more a man than any pair of rats of you in this here house.
What a rat, leaving us stranded here!
- 4
informalAn informant or snitch.
- 5
informalA scab: a worker who acts against trade union policies.
- 6
slangA person who routinely spends time at a particular location.
Our teenager has become a mall rat.
He loved hockey and was a devoted rink rat.
- 7
A wad of shed hair used as part of a hairstyle.
- 8
A roll of material used to puff out the hair, which is turned over it.
- 9
slangVagina, vulva.
Get your rat out.
I don't need no dating app to tell me if I look like crap / To tell me if I'm thin or fat, to tell me should I shave my rat / I don't need no radio, no MTV, no BBC / I just need a bubble bath to set me on a higher path
- 10
Variant of muskratinformalEllipsis of muskrat.
The price of rats began to rise and soon after the marsh froze over, spearing rats began, which was done with a one tine three-eighths inch steel rod, with a wooden handle […]
Where natural marshes, or natural foods are found, are best places for raising muskrats. Louisiana and other southern states raise millions of rats, but they do not bring as good prices as northern raised ones. Delaware and Maryland have famed marshes. Other states are becoming noted for muskrat raising, also.
Etymology
From Middle English raat, rat, ratt, ratte, rotte, from Old English ræt, rætt, from Proto-West Germanic *ratt, from Proto-Germanic *rattaz, *rattō (“rat”), of uncertain origin, possibly from Proto-Indo-European *Hreh₃d- (“to gnaw, scrape, scratch”). However, the rat may have been unknown in Northern Europe in antiquity, and the Proto-Germanic word may have referred to a different animal; see *rattaz for more. Attestation of this family of words begins in the 12th century. Cognates Cognate with North Frisian root (“rat”), Saterland Frisian Rotte (“rat”), West Frisian rôt (“rat”), Dutch rat, rot (“rat”), German Ratte (“rat”), Luxembourgish Rat (“rat”), Vilamovian rot, rott (“rat”), Yiddish ראַץ (rats, “rat”), Danish and Norwegian Bokmål rotte (“rat”), Faroese and Icelandic rotta (“rat”), Norwegian Nynorsk rotta, rotte, røtte (“rat”), Swedish råtta (“rat”), Latin rattus, ratus (“rat”) (whence Asturian ratu (“mouse”), Catalan rata (“rat”), French rat (“rat”), Italian ratto (“rat”), Portuguese rato (“rat”), Spanish rata (“rat”), rato (“male rat”)); also Latin rōdō (“to bite, gnaw, nibble; to backbite, disparage, slander”), Sanskrit रदति (radati, “to scrape, scratch; to cut path, pave; to lead river into a channel; to bestow, convey”). Some of the Germanic cognates show considerable consonant variation, e.g. Middle Low German ratte, radde; Middle High German rate, ratte, ratze. The irregularity may be symptomatic of a late dispersal of the word, although Kroonen accounts for it with a Proto-Germanic stem *raþō nom., *ruttaz gen., showing both ablaut and a Kluge's law alternation, with the variation arising from varying remodellings in the descendants. Kroonen states that this requires a Proto-Indo-European etymon in final *t and is incompatible with the usual derivation from Proto-Indo-European *Hreh₃d- (“to scrape, scratch, gnaw”).
verb
- 1
To hunt or kill rats.
- 2
To betray a political party, cause or principle; to betray someone, to desert a person or thing.
- 3
informalTo work as a scab, going against trade union policies.
- 4
To backcomb (hair).
In 1962, the higher a girl's hair was ratted the more available she was, it was simply understood.
- 5
To inform on someone; to betray someone to the police or authorities.
He ratted on his coworker.
He is going to rat us out!
noun
- 1
A scratch or a score.
- 2
A place in the sea with rapid currents and crags where a ship is likely to be torn apart in stormy weather.
Etymology
From Middle English ratten, further etymology unknown. Compare Middle Low German retten (“to tear, tear up”), Middle High German ratzen (“to scratch; rasp; tear”). Could be related to write. See also rit.
verb
- 1
To scratch or score.
He ratted a vertical line on his face with a pocket knife.
- 2
obsoleteTo tear, rip, rend.
Ratted to shreds.
- 3
Damn, drat, blast; used in oaths.
“But, rat me, sir,” cried Foster in bewilderment, “tis too generous—'pon honour it is. I can't consent to it. No, rat me, I can't.”
noun
- 1
slangA ration.
With regards to the testing of his product, the initial blood analysis had come back confirming huge, distinctive nutritional superiority for Stewart's military ration pack. Given that the policy of the British Army is to be fully ready for war at the drop of a hat, he was sitting on the potential of supplying new rats for the entire army […]
verb
- 1
To hack someone with a remote-access Trojan.
Etymology
From remote-access Trojan.
Forms
- plural
- rats
- past tense
- ratted
- past participle
- ratted
- present participle
- ratting
- third person singular
- rats
rat · Any of the numerous members of several rodent families that usually have short limbs, a pointy snout, a long, hairless tail, and a body length…
Rat · The first of the 12-year cycle of animals which appear in the…RAT · To hack someone with a remote-access Trojan.rate · The proportional relationship between one amount, value etc.…