ratel
[reyt-l, raht-l]
- a badgerlike carnivore, Mellivora capensis, of Africa and India.
Show More
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
But if the ratel is odd in appearance, it is odder still in habits.
The Animal World, A Book of Natural HistoryTheodore 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., MammaliaFrank Evers Beddard
More curious still is the ratel, which belongs to the family of badgers.
The Animal World, A Book of Natural HistoryTheodore 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 CeylonRobert 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 HistoryTheodore Wood
ratel
- 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
Show More
Word Origin
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