ratel

[ reyt-l, raht-l ]

/ ˈreɪt l, ˈrɑt l /

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noun

a badgerlike carnivore, Mellivora capensis, of Africa and India.

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Also called honey badger.

Origin of ratel

1770–80; <Afrikaans <Dutch dialect ratel, variant of raat honeycomb; perhaps originally a compound with this word, referring to the animal's fondness for honey

Words nearby ratel

rate base, rate-cap, rate card, rated load, rateen, ratel, ratemaking, rate-of-climb indicator, rate of exchange, rate of return, ratepayer

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

How to use ratel in a sentence

I have already alluded to the Cape ratel doing this on the look-out for bees.
Natural History of the Mammalia of India and Ceylon|Robert A. Sterndale
The Zibu or mbuidé flies at the tendon Achilles; it is most likely the Ratel.
The Last Journals of David Livingstone, in Central Africa, from 1865 to His Death, Volume II (of 2), 1869-1873|David Livingstone
But the deep boom of new-comers swept the earlier songsters out of the field: “Ik rammel, ik ratel en ik scheur”.
The Further Adventures of O'Neill in Holland|J. Irwin Brown
So it seems quite certain that a ratel never gets stung, no matter how many nests he may rob.
The Animal World, A Book of Natural History|Theodore Wood

But if the ratel is odd in appearance, it is odder still in habits.
The Animal World, A Book of Natural History|Theodore Wood

British Dictionary definitions for ratel

ratel

/ (ˈreɪtəl) /

noun

Also called: honey badger a musteline mammal, Mellivora capensis, inhabiting wooded regions of Africa and S Asia. It has a massive body, strong claws, and a thick coat that is paler on the back and it feeds on honey and small animals

Southern African a six-wheeled armoured vehicle

Word Origin for ratel

C18: from Afrikaans

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