Norway rat

American  

noun

1. an Old World rat, Rattus norvegicus, having a grayish-brown body with whitish underparts and a long, scaly tail, now common in the U.S. in or near homes, barns, wharves, etc.

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Norway rat British  

noun

1. another name for brown rat

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Etymology

Origin of Norway rat

First recorded in 1745–55

Example Sentences

Old DNA only survives in small fragments, so the team used the genome of the Norway rat as a reference to piece together as much as possible of the vanished rat’s genome.

From Science Magazine • Mar. 9, 2022

To catch another sizeable rodent, the Norway rat, however, a New Yorker can go to the hardware store around the corner and purchase a glue board.

From Salon • Jan. 12, 2022

Interestingly enough the CDC does NOT list the Norway rat as a carrier of hantavirus, so the chance of catching a lethal disease in the debris cloud from above is not so bad.

From Slate • Dec. 1, 2020

The Norway rat is an animal full of contradictions, starting with its common name.

From New York Times • Jan. 31, 2017

They were always mischievous, but the Norway rat that came with the white man was worse.

From Austral English A dictionary of Australasian words, phrases and usages with those aboriginal-Australian and Maori words which have become incorporated in the language, and the commoner scientific words that have had their origin in Australasia by Morris, Edward Ellis