ratel

[ reyt-l, raht-l ]
/ ˈreɪt l, ˈrɑt l /

noun

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

QUIZZES

HEED THE VOX POPULI, AND TAKE THIS WORD OF THE DAY QUIZ!

Test your memory on these verbal firecrackers from the week of June 29 to July 5!
Question 1 of 7
anchorite
a granular metamorphic rock.
a person who has retired to a solitary place for a life of religious seclusion.
a hobble or fetter for a horse or other animal.
TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT
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-cap, rate-of-climb indicator, rateable, rated load, rateen, ratel, ratemaking, ratepayer, rater, rates, ratfink
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020

Example sentences from the Web for ratel

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