rat : Idioms & Phrases

• (Railroad), a reduction in fare, freight charges, etc., below the established rates.

Webster 1913

• (Zoöl.), any Indian rodent of the genus Rhizomys.

Webster 1913

• noun burrowing scaly-tailed rat of India and Ceylon
  bandicoot rat.
  

WordNet

• noun amphibious rat of Australia and New Guinea
  

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• (Zoöl.), an aquatic ratlike quadruped of Tasmania (Hydromys chrysogaster).

Webster 1913

• . (Zoöl.) See under Beaver and Coast.

Webster 1913

• noun common household pest originally from Asia that has spread worldwide
  Rattus rattus; black rat.
  

WordNet

• (Zoöl.), one of the species of rats (Mus rattus), commonly infesting houses.

Webster 1913

• noun large harmless shiny black North American snake
  blacksnake; mountain blacksnake; Elaphe obsoleta; pilot blacksnake.
  

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• (Zoöl.), the mole rat.

Webster 1913

• noun an evaluation by a rating company of the probability that a particular bond issue will default
  
  • the bonds of highest quality are said to have bond ratings of AAA

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• noun common domestic rat; serious pest worldwide
  Rattus norvegicus; brown rat.
  

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• noun a game for children in which the players form a circle and join hands; they raise their hands to let a player inside the circle or lower their hands to bar a second player who is chasing the first
  cat and mouse.
  

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• noun ratlike rodent with soft fur and large ears of the Andes
  abrocome; chinchilla rat.
  

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• (Zoöl.), a South African mammal (Bathyergus suillus), about the size of a rabbit, remarkable for its extensive burrows; called also sand mole.

Webster 1913

• (Zoöl.) See Musang.

Webster 1913

• noun destructive long-haired burrowing rat of southern North America and Central America
  Sigmodon hispidus.
  

WordNet

• (Zoöl.), a long-haired rat (Sigmodon hispidus), native of the Southern United States and Mexico. It makes its nest of cotton and is often injurious to the crop.

Webster 1913

• rates levied upon the county, and collected by the boards of guardians, for the purpose of defraying the expenses to which counties are liable, such as repairing bridges, jails, etc. Eng.

Webster 1913

• noun an estimate, based on previous dealings, of a person's or an organization's ability to fulfill their financial commitments
  credit.
  

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• noun colonial mole rat of western Africa; similar to naked mole rat
  

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• noun any of various leaping rodents of desert regions of North America and Mexico; largest members of the family Heteromyidae
  Dipodomys phillipsii; desert rat.
  

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• noun a wood rat with dusky feet
  

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• noun small silky-haired pouched rodent; similar to but smaller than kangaroo rats
  kangaroo mouse.
  

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• (Zoöl.), a seal (Phoca foetida).

Webster 1913

• noun of Florida wetlands
  round-tailed muskrat; Neofiber alleni.
  

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• . (Zoöl.) See Ground pig (above).
• . See Ground Pig, under Ground.

Webster 1913

• noun someone who spends all leisure time playing sports or working out in a gymnasium or health spa
  

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• (Zoöl.), one of several West Indian rodents, allied to the porcupines, but with ratlike tails, and few quills, or only stiff bristles. The hedgehog rats belong to Capromys, Plagiodon, and allied genera.

Webster 1913

• noun enter buildings in pursuit of prey
  Ptyas mucosus.
  

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• noun large Australian rat with hind legs adapted for leaping
  

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• noun any of various leaping rodents of desert regions of North America and Mexico; largest members of the family Heteromyidae
  Dipodomys phillipsii; desert rat.
  
• noun any of several rabbit-sized ratlike Australian kangaroos
  kangaroo rat.
  

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• (Zoöl.), the potoroo.

Webster 1913

• noun any of numerous small sharp-nosed insectivorous marsupials superficially resembling mice or rats
  marsupial mouse; pouched mouse.
  

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• noun rank in a military organization
  rating; paygrade; military rank.
  

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• noun African rodent resembling a mole in habits and appearance
  
• noun furry short-limbed tailless rodent resembling a true mole in habits and appearance; of eastern Europe and Middle East
  
• noun burrowing scaly-tailed rat of India and Ceylon
  bandicoot rat.
  

WordNet

• (Zoöl.), any one of several species of Old World rodents of the genera Spalax, Georychus, and several allied genera. They are molelike in appearance and habits, and their eyes are small or rudimentary.

Webster 1913

• noun fetal-looking colonial rodent of East Africa; neither mole nor rat; they feed on tubers and have a social structure similar to that of honeybees and termites
  

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• noun common domestic rat; serious pest worldwide
  Rattus norvegicus; brown rat.
  

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• (Zoöl.), the common brown rat. See Rat.

Webster 1913

• noun a measure of the antiknock properties of gasoline
  octane number.
  

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• noun terrestrial marsupials of southern South America that resemble shrews
  

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• noun most widely distributed kangaroo rat: plains and mountain areas of central and western United States
  Dipodomys ordi.
  

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• noun someone who collects things that have been discarded by others
  scavenger; magpie.
  
• noun any of several bushy-tailed rodents of the genus Neotoma of western North America; hoards food and other objects
  Neotoma cinerea; bushytail woodrat; packrat; pack rat.
  

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• (Zoöl.), the common ichneumon.

Webster 1913

• noun any of various rodents with cheek pouches
  

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• noun a local tax for the relief of the poor
  

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• . (Zoöl.) See Pocket gopher, under Pocket.

Webster 1913

• noun burrowing rodent of the family Geomyidae having large external cheek pouches; of Central America and southwestern North America
  gopher; pocket gopher.
  

WordNet

• . (Zoöl.) (a) See Pocket Gopher, under Pocket. (b) Any African rodent of the genus Cricetomys .

Webster 1913

• (Zoöl.), any one of several species of South American burrowing rodents belonging to Ctenomys and allied genera. The hair is usually intermingled with sharp spines.

Webster 1913

• . (Zoöl.) See Pocket gopher, under Pocket.

Webster 1913

• noun an especially large mole rat and the only member of a colony of naked mole rats to bear offspring which are sired by only a few males
  queen.
  

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• noun informal names for American cheddar
  store cheese.
  

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• noun ratlike rodent with soft fur and large ears of the Andes
  abrocome; chinchilla rat.
  

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• (Ethnol.), a tribe of Indians dwelling near Fort Ukon, Alaska. They belong to Athabascan stock.

Webster 1913

• noun any of several rabbit-sized ratlike Australian kangaroos
  kangaroo rat.
  

WordNet

• . (Zoöl.) See Mole rat, under Mole.

Webster 1913

• an inclosed space into which rats are put to be killed by a dog for sport.

Webster 1913

• noun an exhausting routine that leaves no time for relaxation
  

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• noun any of various nonvenomous rodent-eating snakes of North America and Asia
  

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• (Zoöl.), a large colubrine snake (Ptyas mucosus) very common in India and Ceylon. It enters dwellings, and destroys rats, chickens, etc.

Webster 1913

• noun any of several breeds of terrier developed to catch rats
  ratter.
  

WordNet

• noun acute infection caused by rickettsia and transmitted by the bite of an infected flea; characterized by fever and chills and muscle aches and a rash
  murine typhus; urban typhus; endemic typhus.
  

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• noun commonly cultivated tropical American cactus having slender creeping stems and very large showy crimson flowers that bloom for several days
  rattail cactus; Aporocactus flagelliformis.
  

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• noun a series of short sharp taps (as made by strokes on a drum or knocks on a door)
  rat-a-tat; rat-a-tat-tat.
  

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• noun a series of short sharp taps (as made by strokes on a drum or knocks on a door)
  rat-a-tat; rat-a-tat-tat.
  

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• noun a workman employed to destroy or drive away vermin
  disinfestation officer.
  

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Rat"-tail` adjective

Definitions

1. Like a rat's tale in form; as, a rat-tail file, which is round, slender, and tapering. See Illust. of File.

Rat"-tail` noun

Definitions

1. (Far.) pl. An excrescence growing from the pastern to the middle of the shank of a horse.
2. (Zoöl.) (a) The California chimæra. See Chimæra. (b) Any fish of the genus Macrurus. See Grenadier, 2.

Webster 1913

• noun a thin round file shaped like the tail of a rat
  

WordNet

Rat"-tailed` adjective

Definitions

1. (Zoöl.) Having a long, tapering tail like that of a rat.

Webster 1913

• noun a series of short sharp taps (as made by strokes on a drum or knocks on a door)
  rat-a-tat; rat-a-tat-tat.
  

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• noun a system of classifying according to quality or merit or amount
  scoring system.
  

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• noun large harmless snake of southeastern United States; often on farms
  Elaphe guttata; corn snake.
  

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• noun hardy agile rat of grassy marshes of Mexico and the southeastern United States
  Oryzomys palustris.
  

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• noun common household pest originally from Asia that has spread worldwide
  Rattus rattus; black rat.
  

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• noun small nearly naked African mole rat of desert areas
  
• noun southern European gerbil
  Meriones longifrons.
  

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• (Zoöl.), the pocket gopher.

Webster 1913

Sea" rat`

Definitions

1. A pirate. R. Massinger.
2. (Zoöl.) The chimæra.

Webster 1913

• noun brown rat commonly found in sewers
  

WordNet

• (Zoöl.), any South America rodent of the genus Echinomys.

Webster 1913

• (Zoöl.), the musk turtle. Local, U.S.

Webster 1913

• (Railroads, etc.), to reduce the charges for transportation below the rates established between competing lines.

Webster 1913

• to have a sense of something wrong, not clearly evident; to have reason for suspicion. Colloq.

Webster 1913

• noun any of several bushy-tailed rodents of the genus Neotoma of western North America; hoards food and other objects
  Neotoma cinerea; bushytail woodrat; packrat; pack rat.
  

WordNet

• (Zoöl.), any one of several species of large ratlike West Indian rodents belonging to the genera Capromys and Plagiodon. They are allied to the porcupines.

Webster 1913

• noun a person who enjoys being in or on the water
  water dog.
  
• noun common large Eurasian vole
  Arvicola amphibius; water vole.
  
• noun any of various amphibious rats
  

WordNet

Wa"ter rat`

Definitions

1. (Zoöl.) (a) The water vole. See under Vole. (b) The muskrat. (c) The beaver rat. See under Beaver.
2. A thief on the water; a pirate.

Webster 1913

• noun someone who lives near wharves and lives by pilfering from ships or warehouses
  
• noun brown rat that infests wharves
  

WordNet

• . (Zoöl.) (a) The common brown rat. (b) A neglected boy who lives around the wharfs. Slang

Webster 1913

• noun any of various small short-tailed rodents of the northern hemisphere having soft fur grey above and white below with furred tails and large ears; some are hosts for Ixodes pacificus and Ixodes scapularis (Lyme disease ticks)
  wood rat.
  

WordNet

• (Zoöl.), any one of several species of American wild rats of the genus Neotoma found in the Southern United States; called also bush rat. The Florida wood rat (Neotoma Floridana) is the best-known species.
• (Zoöl.), any American rat of the genus Neotoma, especially N. Floridana, common in the Southern United States. Its feet and belly are white.

Webster 1913

• noun any of various small short-tailed rodents of the northern hemisphere having soft fur grey above and white below with furred tails and large ears; some are hosts for Ixodes pacificus and Ixodes scapularis (Lyme disease ticks)
  wood rat.
  

WordNet