rat

1 of 2

noun

ˈrat

: any of numerous rodents (Rattus and related genera) differing from the related mice especially by considerably larger size

: any of various similar rodents

: a contemptible person: such as

: one who betrays or deserts friends or associates

: scab sense 3b

: informer sense 2

: a pad over which a woman's hair is arranged

: a person who spends much time in a specified place

a mall rat

ratlike

ˈrat-ˌlīk

adjective

rat

2 of 2

verb

ratted; ratting

intransitive verb

: to betray, desert, or inform on one's associates

—usually used with on

: to catch or hunt rats

: to work as a scab

transitive verb

: to give (hair) the effect of greater quantity (as by use of a rat)

: to inform on : turn in

—usually used with out

ratted out his accomplice

Example Sentences

Noun a dirty old building infested by rats and mice I can't believe that rat turned us in to the police! No one understands why she's with a rat like him. Every night he goes to work out with the other gym rats. Verb The teacher knows what we did, which means that somebody ratted.

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

But even one rat was too much for some staffers there.

Dana Hedgpeth, Washington Post, 8 Sep. 2022 Igartua had gotten several speed camera tickets, Greenberg said, and his letter asked the mayor to put the money from speeding tickets to good use, including to alleviate the rat problem in the alley behind Igartua’s house.

Stephanie Casanova, Chicago Tribune, 7 Sep. 2022 Complaints mention drafty windows, a problem with a smoke detector, mold, appliances that don’t function and rat feces.

Hartford Courant, 6 Sep. 2022 The same tests were run on rat models with the disease as well as patients suffering from other neurodegenerative and inflammatory diseases.

William A. Haseltine, Forbes, 17 Aug. 2022 The yoga aficionado and dedicated gym rat modeled samples from her eponymous clothing line for H&M in the streets of London.

Cara Lynn Shultz, Peoplemag, 16 Aug. 2022 During the pandemic, rat sightings have also gone up (or at least more New Yorkers have complained about them).

BostonGlobe.com, 6 Aug. 2022 The two team up to fulfill both their dreams, in turn, making the restaurant a success, while figuring out how to navigate the harsh Parisian food critic and rat-loathing head chef that threaten to derail their successes.

Nitya Rao, Seventeen, 20 July 2022 This led to a deeper investigation that found rat activity on the first and second floors of the facility.

Jodicee Arianna, The Arizona Republic, 11 Aug. 2022 See More

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English rat, ratte, going back to Old English ræt (attested once), akin to Old Saxon ratta "rat," Middle Dutch ratte, rotte, Old High German ratta, radda, ratza (feminine weak nouns), also Old High German rato (masculine weak noun), probably going back to an ablauting paradigm *raþō (nominative), *rattaz/*ruttaz (genitive), *radeni/*rudeni (dative), going back to earlier *(H)rót-ōn, *(H)rt-n-ós, *(H)rt-én-i, of uncertain origin

Note: The origin of the etymon beyond Germanic is obscure. Regionally in German Ratz or Ratze are applied to other animals (as the dormouse and the polecat); if these senses are old, the application of the etymon to rats (Rattus rattus, Rattus norvegicus) may be secondary. Note that if the base is pre-Germanic *rat-, there is no connection to either Latin rōdere "gnaw, nibble, eat away" (see rodent) or rādere "scrape, shave" (see rase), as has often been assumed.

First Known Use

Noun

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Verb

1812, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1

Medical Definition

rat

noun

ˈrat

: any of the numerous rodents (family Muridae) of Rattus and related genera that differ from the murid mice by their usually considerably larger size and by features of the teeth and other structures and that include forms (as the brown rat, the black rat, and the roof rat) which live in and about human habitations and in ships, have become naturalized by commerce in most parts of the world, and are destructive pests consuming or destroying vast quantities of food and other goods and acting as vectors of various diseases (as bubonic plague)

单词	ratted
释义	rat 1 of 2 noun ˈrat 1 a : any of numerous rodents (Rattus and related genera) differing from the related mice especially by considerably larger size b : any of various similar rodents 2 : a contemptible person: such as a : one who betrays or deserts friends or associates b : scab sense 3b c : informer sense 2 3 : a pad over which a woman's hair is arranged 4 : a person who spends much time in a specified place a mall rat ratlike ˈrat-ˌlīk adjective rat 2 of 2 verb ratted; ratting intransitive verb 1 : to betray, desert, or inform on one's associates —usually used with on 2 : to catch or hunt rats 3 : to work as a scab transitive verb 1 : to give (hair) the effect of greater quantity (as by use of a rat) 2 : to inform on : turn in —usually used with out ratted out his accomplice Synonyms Noun betrayer canary [slang] deep throat fink informant informer nark [British] rat fink snitch snitcher squealer stool pigeon stoolie talebearer tattler tattletale telltale whistle-blower Verb fink grass (on) [British slang] inform sing snitch split (on) [British] squeak squeal talk tell (on) See all Synonyms & Antonyms Example Sentences Noun a dirty old building infested by rats and mice I can't believe that rat turned us in to the police! No one understands why she's with a rat like him. Every night he goes to work out with the other gym rats. Verb The teacher knows what we did, which means that somebody ratted. Recent Examples on the Web Noun But even one rat was too much for some staffers there. Dana Hedgpeth, Washington Post, 8 Sep. 2022 Igartua had gotten several speed camera tickets, Greenberg said, and his letter asked the mayor to put the money from speeding tickets to good use, including to alleviate the rat problem in the alley behind Igartua’s house. Stephanie Casanova, Chicago Tribune, 7 Sep. 2022 Complaints mention drafty windows, a problem with a smoke detector, mold, appliances that don’t function and rat feces. Hartford Courant, 6 Sep. 2022 The same tests were run on rat models with the disease as well as patients suffering from other neurodegenerative and inflammatory diseases. William A. Haseltine, Forbes, 17 Aug. 2022 The yoga aficionado and dedicated gym rat modeled samples from her eponymous clothing line for H&M in the streets of London. Cara Lynn Shultz, Peoplemag, 16 Aug. 2022 During the pandemic, rat sightings have also gone up (or at least more New Yorkers have complained about them). BostonGlobe.com, 6 Aug. 2022 The two team up to fulfill both their dreams, in turn, making the restaurant a success, while figuring out how to navigate the harsh Parisian food critic and rat-loathing head chef that threaten to derail their successes. Nitya Rao, Seventeen, 20 July 2022 This led to a deeper investigation that found rat activity on the first and second floors of the facility. Jodicee Arianna, The Arizona Republic, 11 Aug. 2022 See More Word History Etymology Noun Middle English rat, ratte, going back to Old English ræt (attested once), akin to Old Saxon ratta "rat," Middle Dutch ratte, rotte, Old High German ratta, radda, ratza (feminine weak nouns), also Old High German rato (masculine weak noun), probably going back to an ablauting paradigm raþō (nominative), rattaz/ruttaz (genitive), radeni/rudeni (dative), going back to earlier (H)rót-ōn, (H)rt-n-ós, (H)rt-én-i, of uncertain origin Note: The origin of the etymon beyond Germanic is obscure. Regionally in German Ratz or Ratze are applied to other animals (as the dormouse and the polecat); if these senses are old, the application of the etymon to rats (Rattus rattus, Rattus norvegicus) may be secondary. Note that if the base is pre-Germanic rat-, there is no connection to either Latin rōdere* "gnaw, nibble, eat away" (see rodent) or rādere "scrape, shave" (see rase), as has often been assumed. First Known Use Noun before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a Verb 1812, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1 Phrases Containing rat black rat snake kangaroo rat eastern rat snake like a drowned rat gray rat snake rat-a-tat rat-a-tat-tat rat-arsed pack rat mole rat rat-bite fever rat cheese rat fink rat race rat run rat-tail file rat snake rug rat red rat snake the rat race water rat western rat snake wood rat lab/laboratory rat Norway rat brown rat naked mole rat rat trap cheese smell a rat See More black rat snake kangaroo rat eastern rat snake like a drowned rat gray rat snake rat-a-tat rat-a-tat-tat rat-arsed pack rat mole rat rat-bite fever rat cheese rat fink rat race rat run rat-tail file rat snake rug rat red rat snake the rat race water rat western rat snake wood rat lab/laboratory rat Norway rat brown rat naked mole rat rat trap cheese smell a rat See More Kids Definition rat 1 of 2 noun ˈrat 1 : a gnawing animal with brown, black, white, or grayish fur that looks like but is larger than a mouse 2 : a person who betrays friends rat 2 of 2 verb ratted; ratting : to betray a friend Medical Definition rat noun ˈrat : any of the numerous rodents (family Muridae) of Rattus and related genera that differ from the murid mice by their usually considerably larger size and by features of the teeth and other structures and that include forms (as the brown rat, the black rat, and the roof rat) which live in and about human habitations and in ships, have become naturalized by commerce in most parts of the world, and are destructive pests consuming or destroying vast quantities of food and other goods and acting as vectors of various diseases (as bubonic plague) ratted verb past tense of rat as in betrayed Synonyms & Similar Words Relevance betrayed tattled exposed talked informed warned blabbed squealed leaked divulged revealed told spilled proclaimed disclosed announced whispered declared communicated gave away imparted published said breathed spilt unveiled recognized tipped (off) accepted broadcast broke confirmed broadcasted affirmed yielded confessed avowed professed wised (up) unloaded admitted acknowledged agreed disburdened conceded allowed granted unburdened owned (up to) fessed (up) Antonyms & Near Antonyms denied disowned disclaimed disavowed disallowed contradicted hid rejected disputed negated concealed refuted covered (up) rebutted repudiated obscured veiled gainsaid negatived kidded (oneself) See More
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rat

noun

verb

Synonyms

Example Sentences

Word History

Phrases Containing rat

Kids Definition

noun

verb

Medical Definition

noun

verb