pack rat
or packrat
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noun
Also called trade rat, wood rat . a large, bushy-tailed rodent, Neotoma cinerea, of North America, noted for carrying off small articles to store in its nest.
Informal. a person who saves things that are not needed or used but that may have personal or other value.
Informal. an old prospector or guide.
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Origin of pack rat
First recorded in 1840–50
Definition for pack rat (2 of 2)
pack-rat
or pack·rat
[ pak-rat ]
/ ˈpækˌræt /
verb (used with object), pack-rat·ted, pack-rat·ting.Informal.
to save in the manner of a pack rat: I’m looking through the stuff my grandpa pack-ratted away in the attic.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2021
British Dictionary definitions for pack rat
pack rat
noun
any rat of the genus Neotoma, of W North America, having a long tail that is furry in some species: family CricetidaeAlso called: wood rat
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
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