ratsbane

[ rats-beyn ]

/ ˈrætsˌbeɪn /

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noun

rat poison.

the trioxide of arsenic.

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Origin of ratsbane

First recorded in 1515–25; rat + 's¹ + bane

Words nearby ratsbane

ratoon, rat pack, rat race, rat-running, rats, ratsbane, Ratskeller, rat snake, rat's nest, rattail, rat-tail cactus

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use ratsbane in a sentence

If his Lordship had sent me an infusion of ratsbane in the loving-cup, I should have taken it much more kindly at his hands.
Our Old Home, Vol. 2|Nathaniel Hawthorne
For my own part, I would as lief they would put ratsbane in my mouth as the ‘excellency’ with which I am daily crammed.
Patrick Henry|Moses Coit Tyler
It is the double-distilled extract of nux vomica, ratsbane, and adder's tongue.
New Tabernacle Sermons|Thomas De Witt Talmage
"Doctor, that ere ratsbane of yourn is fust rate," said a Yankee to a village apothecary.
Witty Pieces by Witty People|Various

Mrs. Smith's doctor tells her if she wants poison she had better get ratsbane, and then she will know what she is swallowing.
Ginger-Snaps|Fanny Fern

British Dictionary definitions for ratsbane

ratsbane

/ (ˈrætsˌbeɪn) /

noun

rat poison, esp arsenic oxide

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