ratel

American  

[reyt-l, raht-l] / ˈreɪt l, ˈrɑt l /

noun

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

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ratel British  

/ ˈreɪtəl /

noun

1. 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

2. a six-wheeled armoured vehicle

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Etymology

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

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

ratel

The ratel lies in wait for this bird; and, on hearing the cry, makes towards it, and keeps following its flights till the bees’ nest is found.

From Quadrupeds, What They Are and Where Found A Book of Zoology for Boys by Harvey, William

That lion, however, might have turned into Satan himself, for all the ratel cared.

From The Way of the Wild by Rountree, Harry

They had proceeded perhaps three hundred yards, when, turning a bush carelessly, as no other creature would dare to do, the ratel fell almost on to the back of the bull-gnu.

From The Way of the Wild by Rountree, Harry

But the deep boom of new-comers swept the earlier songsters out of the field: “Ik rammel, ik ratel en ik scheur”.

From The Further Adventures of O'Neill in Holland by Brown, J. Irwin

Later our ratel sallied forth to "face the world" again.

From The Way of the Wild by Rountree, Harry