rat

rat

synonyms, antonyms, definitions, examples & translations of rat in English

English Online Dictionary. What means rat‎? What does rat mean?

English

Pronunciation

  • enPR: răt, IPA(key): /ɹæt/
  • Rhymes: -æt

Etymology 1

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. (Can this(+) etymology be sourced?)

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”).

Noun

rat (plural rats)

  2. (zoology) A medium-sized rodent belonging to the genus Rattus.
  3. (informal) Any of the numerous members of several rodent families (e.g. voles and mice) that resemble true rats in appearance, usually having short limbs, a pointy snout, a long, hairless tail, and a body length greater than about 12 cm, or 5 inches.
  4. (informal) A person who is known for betrayal; a scoundrel; a quisling.
    rat bastard
  5. (informal) An informant or snitch.
  6. (informal) A scab: a worker who acts against trade union policies.
  7. (slang) A person who routinely spends time at a particular location.
  8. A wad of shed hair used as part of a hairstyle.
  9. A roll of material used to puff out the hair, which is turned over it.
  10. (UK, north-west London, slang, vulgar) Vagina, vulva.
  11. (chiefly informal) Short for muskrat.
    • 1929, E. J. Dailey, in Hardings Magazine's Question Box, printed in Fur Fish Game, page 73:
      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.
Synonyms
  • (person known for betrayal): traitor (see for more synonyms)
  • (informer): stool pigeon
Derived terms
Translations
See also
  • mouse
  • rodent

Verb

rat (third-person singular simple present rats, present participle ratting, simple past and past participle ratted)

  1. (of a dog, etc.) To hunt or kill rats. [from 19th c.]
  2. (intransitive) To betray a political party, cause or principle; to betray someone, to desert a person or thing. [from 19th c.]
  3. (informal, intransitive) To work as a scab, going against trade union policies. [from 19th c.]
  4. (chiefly US) To backcomb (hair). [from 20th c.]
  5. (intransitive, with on or out) To inform on someone; to betray someone to the police or authorities. [from 20th c.]
Synonyms
  • (to betray someone to an authority): tell on, to finger or put the finger on, bewray
Translations

References

Etymology 2

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.

Noun

rat (plural rats)

  1. (regional) A scratch or a score.
  2. (nautical, regional) A place in the sea with rapid currents and crags where a ship is likely to be torn apart in stormy weather.

Verb

rat (third-person singular simple present rats, present participle ratting, simple past and past participle ratted)

  1. (regional) To scratch or score.
  2. (regional, rare, obsolete) To tear, rip, rend.
  3. Damn, drat, blast; used in oaths.
Usage notes

The verb rat is rarely used in the second sense. In the sense to tear, rip, rend, the form to-rat is more common. Compare German zerreißen (“to rip up, tear, rend”).

References

  • The Middle English Dictionary
  • The English dialect dictionary

Etymology 3

Noun

rat (plural rats)

  1. (military, slang) A ration.
Derived terms
  • C-rat

Anagrams

  • Tar, TRA, ART, ATR, art, TAR, RTA, rta, Art, tra, tar, 'art, art.

Catalan

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): (Central, Balearic, Valencia) [ˈrat]
  • Rhymes: -at

Noun

rat m (plural rats)

  1. rat
    Synonym: rata

Further reading

  • “rat” in Diccionari de la llengua catalana, segona edició, Institut d’Estudis Catalans.
  • “rat”, in Gran Diccionari de la Llengua Catalana, Grup Enciclopèdia Catalana, 2025
  • “rat” in Diccionari normatiu valencià, Acadèmia Valenciana de la Llengua.
  • “rat” in Diccionari català-valencià-balear, Antoni Maria Alcover and Francesc de Borja Moll, 1962.

Danish

Etymology

From Middle Low German rat (“wheel”), from Old Saxon rath.

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /rat/, [ˈʁɑd̥]
  • Homophone: ret (except in some older speakers)

Noun

rat n (singular definite rattet, plural indefinite rat)

  1. wheel, steering wheel

Inflection

Dutch

Alternative forms

  • rot (Northern Dutch, dialectal)

Etymology

From Middle Dutch ratte, from Old Dutch *rato, *roto, from Frankish *ratt, *rato, from Proto-Germanic *rattaz (“rat”). Related to Old High German rato.

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /rɑt/
  • Hyphenation: rat
  • Rhymes: -ɑt
  • Homophone: rad

Noun

rat f (plural ratten, diminutive ratje n)

  1. (zoology) a rat, medium-sized rodent belonging to the genus Rattus, or of certain other genera in the family Muridae
  2. (informal) any of the numerous, fairly large members of several rodent families that resemble true rats in appearance
  3. (informal) a traitor; a scoundrel; a quisling
  4. (informal) an informant or snitch
  5. (informal) an urchin
  6. (informal) a pauper; undesirable commoner
  7. (slang) a watch

Derived terms

Descendants

  • Afrikaans: rot
  • Jersey Dutch: rot
  • Negerhollands: rotto, roto
    • → Virgin Islands Creole: roto (dated)
  • →? Kari'na: alata (via Sranantongo, possibly from Spanish)
  • →? Saramaccan: alátu (possibly from Spanish)

French

Etymology

Inherited from Middle French rat (“rat”), from Old French rat (“rat”); ultimately of Germanic origin, from Old High German rato (“rat”) or Frankish *rato (“rat”).

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /ʁa/
  • Rhymes: -a

Noun

rat m (plural rats, feminine rate)

  1. rat
  2. (informal) sweetheart
  3. scrooge

Derived terms

Related terms

  • raton
  • rate
  • rat d’hôtel
  • rater

Further reading

  • “rat”, in Trésor de la langue française informatisé [Digitized Treasury of the French Language], 2012.

Anagrams

  • art

Indonesian

Etymology

From Javanese rat (ꦫꦠ꧀),

  • from Old Javanese rāt (“world, land”), from Proto-Malayo-Polynesian *daʀat.
  • from Sanskrit रथ (ratha, “chariot, wagon, body”). See Yana (Buddhism) in Wikipedia for more information.

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): [ˈrat̪̚]
  • Hyphenation: rat

Noun

rat

  1. (archaic) world
    Synonyms: alam, dunia, jagat

Further reading

  • “rat” in Kamus Besar Bahasa Indonesia, Jakarta: Agency for Language Development and Cultivation – Ministry of Education, Culture, Research, and Technology of the Republic of Indonesia, 2016.

Kalasha

Etymology

From Sanskrit रात्रि (rātri). Cognate with Hindi रात (rāt).

Noun

rat (Arabic رات)

  1. night

Maltese

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /raːt/
  • Homophones: ragħad, rgħat (except archaically)

Verb

rat

  1. third-person feminine singular perfect of ra

Middle Dutch

Etymology 1

From Old Dutch *rath, from Proto-Germanic *raþą, from Proto-Indo-European *Hret-.

Noun

rat n

  1. wheel
    Synonym: wiel
Inflection

This noun needs an inflection-table template.

Descendants
  • Dutch: rad
  • Limburgish: raad

Etymology 2

From Old Dutch *rath, from Proto-Germanic *raþaz, from Proto-Indo-European *Hret-.

Adjective

rat

  1. fast, quick
Inflection
Descendants
  • Dutch: rad

Further reading

  • “rat”, in Vroegmiddelnederlands Woordenboek, 2000
  • Verwijs, E., Verdam, J. (1885–1929) “rat (I)”, in Middelnederlandsch Woordenboek, The Hague: Martinus Nijhoff, →ISBN, page I
  • Verwijs, E., Verdam, J. (1885–1929) “rat (III)”, in Middelnederlandsch Woordenboek, The Hague: Martinus Nijhoff, →ISBN, page III

Middle English

Noun

rat

  1. Alternative form of ratte

Norman

Etymology

From Old French rat (“rat”).

Noun

rat m (plural rats)

  1. (Jersey, Guernsey) rat

Derived terms

Occitan

Pronunciation

Noun

rat m (plural rats)

  1. (Rattus rattus) black rat

Synonyms

  • garri

Derived terms

Related terms

  • rata

References

Old French

Etymology

Of Germanic origin, from Old High German rato (“rat”) or Frankish *rato (“rat”).

Noun

rat oblique singular, m (oblique plural raz or ratz, nominative singular raz or ratz, nominative plural rat)

  1. rat (rodent)

Descendants

  • Middle French: rat
    • French: rat
    • Norman: rat

References

Brachet, A. (1873) “rat”, in Kitchin, G. W., transl., Etymological dictionary of the French language (Clarendon Press Series), 1st edition, London: Oxford/MacMillan and Co.

Old Javanese

Etymology

From Proto-Malayo-Polynesian *daʀat.

Noun

rat

  1. land

Romani

Etymology 1

Inherited from Prakrit 𑀭𑀢𑁆𑀢 (ratta), from Sanskrit रक्त (rakta). Cognate with dialectal Hindi रात (rāt) and Punjabi ਰੱਤ (ratta).

Pronunciation

IPA(key): /ɾat/

Noun

rat m (nominative plural rata)

  1. blood

Etymology 2

Inherited from Prakrit 𑀭𑀢𑁆𑀢𑀺 (ratti), from Sanskrit रात्रि (rātri).

Alternative forms

  • ratyi (Anglicized)
  • rǎt, rǎtǐ (International Standard)

Pronunciation

IPA(key): /ɾat/, /ɾʲat/

Noun

rat f (nominative plural ratǎ)

  1. night
Derived terms
  • laćhi rǎt

References

Romansch

Etymology

From Frankish *rato (“rat”).

Noun

rat m (plural rats)

  1. (Surmiran) rat

Synonyms

  • ratung

Serbo-Croatian

Etymology

Inherited from Proto-Slavic *ortь, from the o-grade of Proto-Indo-European *h₃er- (“to rise, to attack”), cognate to Ancient Greek ἔρις (éris, “quarrel, strife”), Sanskrit ऋति (ṛti, “assault”) and Proto-Germanic *ernustuz (“struggle, fight”).

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /rât/

Noun

rȁt m (Cyrillic spelling ра̏т, relational adjective rȁtnī)

  1. war
    Synonym: vojna
    Samo idioti misle da rat r(j)ešava probleme. ― Only idiots think that war solves problems.

Declension

Further reading

  • “rat”, in Hrvatski jezični portal [Croatian language portal] (in Serbo-Croatian), 2006–2025

Torres Strait Creole

Etymology

From English rat.

Noun

rat

  1. rat or mouse

Synonyms

  • mukeis (eastern dialect)

Volapük

Etymology

Borrowed from English rat.

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): [ɾat]

Noun

rat (nominative plural rats)

  1. rat (rodent of the family Muridae)

Declension

Hypernyms

  • nim
  • sügaf
  • süganim
  • tuetaf
  • tuetanim

Hyponyms

  • ratil
  • ratül

Derived terms

See also

  • mug
  • yat

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This article based on an article on Wiktionary. The list of authors can be seen in the page history there. The original work has been modified. This article is distributed under the terms of this license.