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ratmore about rat

rat


  3  definitions  found 
 
  From  Webster's  Revised  Unabridged  Dictionary  (1913)  [web1913]: 
 
  Rat  \Rat\,  n.  [AS.  r[ae]t;  akin  to  D.  rat,  OHG.  rato,  ratta,  G. 
  ratte,  ratze,  OLG.  ratta,  LG  &  Dan.  rotte,  Sw  r[*a]tta,  F. 
  rat,  Ir  &  Gael  radan,  Armor.  raz,  of  unknown  origin.  Cf 
  {Raccoon}.] 
  1.  (Zo["o]l.)  One  of  the  several  species  of  small  rodents  of 
  the  genus  {Mus}  and  allied  genera,  larger  than  mice,  that 
  infest  houses,  stores,  and  ships,  especially  the  Norway, 
  or  brown,  rat  ({M.  Alexandrinus}).  These  were  introduced 
  into  Anerica  from  the  Old  World. 
 
  2.  A  round  and  tapering  mass  of  hair,  or  similar  material, 
  used  by  women  to  support  the  puffs  and  rolls  of  their 
  natural  hair.  [Local,  U.S.] 
 
  3.  One  who  deserts  his  party  or  associates;  hence  in  the 
  trades,  one  who  works  for  lower  wages  than  those 
  prescribed  by  a  trades  union.  [Cant] 
 
  Note:  ``It  so  chanced  that  not  long  after  the  accession  of 
  the  house  of  Hanover,  some  of  the  brown,  that  is  the 
  German  or  Norway,  rats,  were  first  brought  over  to  this 
  country  (in  some  timber  as  is  said);  and  being  much 
  stronger  than  the  black,  or  till  then,  the  common, 
  rats,  they  in  many  places  quite  extirpated  the  latter. 
  The  word  (both  the  noun  and  the  verb  to  rat)  was  first 
  as  we  have  seen,  leveled  at  the  converts  to  the 
  government  of  George  the  First  but  has  by  degrees 
  obtained  a  wide  meaning,  and  come  to  be  applied  to  any 
  sudden  and  mercenary  change  in  politics.''  --Lord 
  Mahon. 
 
  {Bamboo  rat}  (Zo["o]l.),  any  Indian  rodent  of  the  genus 
  {Rhizomys}. 
 
  {Beaver  rat},  {Coast  rat}.  (Zo["o]l.)  See  under  {Beaver}  and 
  {Coast}. 
 
  {Blind  rat}  (Zo["o]l.),  the  mole  rat. 
 
  {Cotton  rat}  (Zo["o]l.),  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. 
 
  {Ground  rat}.  See  {Ground  Pig},  under  {Ground}. 
 
  {Hedgehog  rat}.  See  under  {Hedgehog}. 
 
  {Kangaroo  rat}  (Zo["o]l.),  the  potoroo. 
 
  {Norway  rat}  (Zo["o]l.),  the  common  brown  rat.  See  {Rat}. 
 
  {Pouched  rat}.  (Zo["o]l.) 
  a  See  {Pocket  Gopher},  under  {Pocket}. 
  b  Any  African  rodent  of  the  genus  {Cricetomys}. 
 
  {Rat  Indians}  (Ethnol.),  a  tribe  of  Indians  dwelling  near 
  Fort  Ukon,  Alaska.  They  belong  to  Athabascan  stock. 
 
  {Rat  mole}.  (Zo["o]l.)  See  {Mole  rat},  under  {Mole}. 
 
  {Rat  pit},  an  inclosed  space  into  which  rats  are  put  to  be 
  killed  by  a  dog  for  sport. 
 
  {Rat  snake}  (Zo["o]l.),  a  large  colubrine  snake  ({Ptyas 
  mucosus})  very  common  in  India  and  Ceylon.  It  enters 
  dwellings,  and  destroys  rats,  chickens,  etc 
 
  {Spiny  rat}  (Zo["o]l.),  any  South  America  rodent  of  the  genus 
  {Echinomys}. 
 
  {To  smell  a  rat}.  See  under  {Smell}. 
 
  {Wood  rat}  (Zo["o]l.),  any  American  rat  of  the  genus 
  {Neotoma},  especially  {N.  Floridana},  common  in  the 
  Southern  United  States.  Its  feet  and  belly  are  white. 
 
  From  Webster's  Revised  Unabridged  Dictionary  (1913)  [web1913]: 
 
  Rat  \Rat\,  v.  i.  [imp.  &  p.  p.  {Ratted};  p.  pr  &  vb  n. 
  {Ratting}.] 
  1.  In  English  politics,  to  desert  one's  party  from  interested 
  motives;  to  forsake  one's  associates  for  one's  own 
  advantage;  in  the  trades,  to  work  for  less  wages,  or  on 
  other  conditions,  than  those  established  by  a  trades 
  union. 
 
  Coleridge  .  .  .  incurred  the  reproach  of  having 
  ratted,  solely  by  his  inability  to  follow  the 
  friends  of  his  early  days.  --De  Quincey. 
 
  2.  To  catch  or  kill  rats. 
 
  From  WordNet  r  1.6  [wn]: 
 
  rat 
  n  1:  any  of  various  long-tailed  rodents  similar  to  but  larger 
  than  a  mouse 
  2:  someone  who  works  (or  provides  workers)  during  a  strike 
  [syn:  {scab},  {strikebreaker},  {blackleg}] 
  3:  a  person  who  is  deemed  to  be  despicable  or  contemptible; 
  "only  a  rotter  would  do  that";  "kill  the  rat";  "throw  the 
  bum  out";  "you  cowardly  little  pukes!"  [syn:  {rotter},  {skunk}, 
  {stinker},  {bum},  {puke},  {crumb},  {lowlife},  {scum  bag}, 
  {so-and-so}] 
  4:  one  who  reveals  confidential  information  in  return  for  money 
  [syn:  {informer},  {betrayer},  {squealer}] 
  v  1:  desert  one's  party  or  group  of  friends,  for  example,  for 
  one's  personal  advantage 
  2:  employ  scabs  or  strike  breakers  in  (an  industry) 
  3:  take  the  place  of  work  of  someone  on  strike  [syn:  {scab},  {blackleg}] 
  4:  give  (hair)  the  appearance  of  being  fuller  by  using  a  rat 
  5:  catch  rats,  esp.  with  dogs 
  6:  give  away  information  about  somebody;  "He  told  on  his 
  classmate  who  had  cheated  on  the  exam"  [syn:  {denounce},  {tell 
  on},  {betray},  {give  away},  {grass},  {peach},  {shit},  {shop}, 
  {snitch},  {stag}] 




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