mole rat

or mole-rat, mole·rat

[ mohl-rat ]

/ ˈmoʊlˌræt /

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noun

any of several eastern European burrowing rodents, especially those of the genus Spalax, having no tail, short limbs, and small eyes with permanently closed lids.

bandicoot (def. 2).

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Origin of mole rat

First recorded in 1775–85

Words nearby mole rat

mole drain, mole fraction, molehill, mole mapping, mole plow, mole rat, mole run, moleskin, moleskins, molest, molestation

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use mole rat in a sentence

The naked mole rat is the animal equivalent of the nightmarish Pale Man from Guillermo del Toro’s Pan’s Labyrinth, but this little guy is much less menacing.
9 creatures that have made spookiness their brand|Elana Spivack|October 22, 2021|Popular-Science
Eusocial has been used to describe certain societies of insects and crustaceans, along with two species of mole rats.
These ferns may be first plants known to work together as ants do|Jake Buehler|July 1, 2021|Science News For Students
To his detractors, he was a half-mad paranoiac who nearly destroyed the CIA in his obsessive search for a Soviet mole.
The Bizarre Tale of Ben Bradlee, JFK, and the Master Spy|Will Rahn|October 22, 2014|DAILY BEAST
One rat had once fallen on his head, he said, during a rat raid of a local home.
The Crazy Medieval Island of Sark|Liza Foreman|October 4, 2014|DAILY BEAST

Last season was definitely challenging, because we were not allowed to mention them or allude to a mole of any kind.
The Leaner, Meaner Season 2 of ‘Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.’|Jason Lynch|September 22, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Since rat root comes from a plant that grows on the edge of the lake there are concerns that the plant is carrying toxins.
Our Trip to The Climate War's Ground Zero|Darren Aronofsky|September 19, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Chief Adam offers us some of the local medicine called rat root.
Our Trip to The Climate War's Ground Zero|Darren Aronofsky|September 19, 2014|DAILY BEAST
He grew very restless, for it was a long time before Grandfather Mole appeared.
The Tale of Grandfather Mole|Arthur Scott Bailey
But she told Grandfather Mole that it was all right—that she knew a person of his age ought not to go without his breakfast.
The Tale of Grandfather Mole|Arthur Scott Bailey
And he had waited so long for Grandfather Mole that he had begun to feel hungry again.
The Tale of Grandfather Mole|Arthur Scott Bailey
One thing was certain: Grandfather Mole could travel much faster through the water than he could underground.
The Tale of Grandfather Mole|Arthur Scott Bailey
Then Jimmy remembered suddenly that he had to meet Grandfather Mole over there.
The Tale of Grandfather Mole|Arthur Scott Bailey

British Dictionary definitions for mole rat

mole rat

noun

any burrowing molelike African rodent of the family Bathyergidae

any similar rodent, esp any member of the genus Spalax, of Asia and North Africa: family Spalacidae

the bandicoot ratSee bandicoot (def. 2)

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