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. 2023

How to use ratel in a sentence

Two kinds of ratels are known, one of which lives in Africa and the other in India.
The Animal World, A Book of Natural History | Theodore Wood
For about once a week that his master had gone over to Ratels Hoek formerly, now he went thither at least twice or three times.
Aletta | Bertram Mitford
Should he wake up directly and find himself back again at Pretoria, or at Ratels Hoek, or his own farm?
Aletta | Bertram Mitford
And have you forgotten, Aletta, that little talk we had one day in the garden at Ratels Hoek?
Aletta | Bertram Mitford
Instead of returning to Pretoria, he would proceed straight to Ratels Hoek.
Aletta | Bertram Mitford

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

Origin of 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

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