black rat

American

noun

an Old World rat, Rattus rattus, now common in the southern U.S., having a black or brown body with grayish or white underparts.

black rat British

noun

a common rat, Rattus rattus : a household pest that has spread from its native Asia to all countries

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of black rat

First recorded in 1765–75

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Outbreaks there are associated with agriculture, deforestation, the black rat -- and fleas.

From Science Daily • May 1, 2024

The black rat was one of the most capable animal hosts for the plague-carrying fleas.

From Textbooks • Apr. 19, 2023

On Anacapa, the problem was a different animal: the common black rat.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 6, 2023

There is the black rat or roof rat, with a tail nearly always longer than its body.

From Seattle Times • Jan. 13, 2023

Somehow we got a hedgehog, and Sally contributed a white and black rat, rescued from the school lab during vacation.

From "My Life with the Chimpanzees" by Jane Goodall

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023