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Rat
Definitions
- 1 The first of the 12-year cycle of animals which appear in the Chinese zodiac related to the Chinese calendar.
- 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 scratch or a score. regional
- 3 A ration. slang
"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 […]"
- 4 Initialism of rapid antigen test. abbreviation, alt-of, countable, initialism
- 5 any of various long-tailed rodents similar to but larger than a mouse wordnet
Show 18 more definitions
- 6 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."
- 7 A place in the sea with rapid currents and crags where a ship is likely to be torn apart in stormy weather. regional
- 8 Initialism of Rapid Area Transit. abbreviation, alt-of, countable, initialism
- 9 a pad (usually made of hair) worn as part of a woman's coiffure wordnet
- 10 A person who is known for betrayal. informal
"Near-synonyms: rouge, scoundrel, snake; see also Thesaurus:villain"
- 11 Initialism of ram air turbine. abbreviation, alt-of, countable, initialism
- 12 one who reveals confidential information to the police or other authority wordnet
- 13 An informant or snitch. informal
- 14 Initialism of remote-access Trojan. abbreviation, alt-of, countable, initialism
- 15 a person who is deemed to be despicable or contemptible wordnet
- 16 A scab: a worker who acts against trade union policies. informal
- 17 Initialism of relevant alternatives theory. abbreviation, alt-of, initialism, uncountable
- 18 someone who works (or provides workers) during a strike wordnet
- 19 A person who routinely spends time at a particular location. slang
"Our teenager has become a mall rat."
- 20 A wad of shed hair used as part of a hairstyle.
- 21 A roll of material used to puff out the hair, which is turned over it.
- 22 Vagina, vulva. UK, slang, vulgar
"Get your rat out."
- 23 Ellipsis of muskrat. abbreviation, alt-of, ellipsis, informal
"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 […]"
- 1 To hunt or kill rats. usually
- 2 To scratch or score. regional
"He ratted a vertical line on his face with a pocket knife."
- 3 give away information about somebody wordnet
- 4 To betray a political party, cause or principle; to betray someone, to desert a person or thing. intransitive
- 5 To tear, rip, rend. obsolete, rare, regional
"Ratted to shreds."
Show 9 more definitions
- 6 catch rats, especially with dogs wordnet
- 7 To work as a scab, going against trade union policies. informal, intransitive
- 8 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.”"
- 9 give (hair) the appearance of being fuller by using a rat wordnet
- 10 To backcomb (hair). US
"In 1962, the higher a girl's hair was ratted the more available she was, it was simply understood."
- 11 take the place of work of someone on strike wordnet
- 12 To inform on someone; to betray someone to the police or authorities. intransitive
"He ratted on his coworker."
- 13 employ scabs or strike breakers in wordnet
- 14 desert one's party or group of friends, for example, for one's personal advantage wordnet
Etymology
From Middle English ratte, rat, rotte, from Old English rætt, from Proto-West Germanic *ratt, from Proto-Germanic *rattaz, *rattō (compare West Frisian rôt, Dutch rat), of uncertain origin, possibly from Proto-Indo-European *Hreh₃d- (“to scrape, scratch, gnaw”). 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. 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”).
From Middle English ratte, rat, rotte, from Old English rætt, from Proto-West Germanic *ratt, from Proto-Germanic *rattaz, *rattō (compare West Frisian rôt, Dutch rat), of uncertain origin, possibly from Proto-Indo-European *Hreh₃d- (“to scrape, scratch, gnaw”). 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. 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”).
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.
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.
See also for "rat"
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