ratel

[reyt-l, raht-l]

noun

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

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

Also called honey badger.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Examples from the Web for ratel

Historical Examples of ratel

But if the ratel is odd in appearance, it is odder still in habits.
The Animal World, A Book of Natural History
Theodore Wood
It is greyish yellow above and blackish beneath, presenting, as has been remarked, a curious similarity to the Ratel.
The Cambridge Natural History, Vol X., Mammalia
Frank Evers Beddard
More curious still is the ratel, which belongs to the family of badgers.
The Animal World, A Book of Natural History
Theodore Wood
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
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

British Dictionary definitions for ratel

ratel

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