Hypertext Webster Gateway: "rat"

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) 1.7 (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}, {stinkpot}, {bum}, {puke}, {crumb}, {lowlife},
{scum bag}, {so-and-so}]
4: one who reveals confidential information in return for money
[syn: {informer}, {betrayer}, {squealer}, {blabber}]
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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