ratter

[ rat-er ]

/ ˈræt ər /

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noun

a person, animal, or thing that catches rats, as a terrier or a cat.

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Origin of ratter

First recorded in 1825–35; rat + -er¹

Words nearby ratter

rat-tail file, rat tamer, rattan, rat-tat, ratteen, ratter, rat terrier, Rattigan, rattish, rattle, rattlebox

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

How to use ratter in a sentence

He was a very good ratter, and also killed many snakes against which I pitted him.
Natural History of the Mammalia of India and Ceylon|Robert A. Sterndale
He was first bred by the mill hands in the Midland counties of England where he was famous as a ratter.
The Dogs of Boytown|Walter A. Dyer
I don't blacklist no man in the dark, and I've said a heap more to that old ratter's face than I've ever said behind his back.
The Honorable Senator Sage-Brush|Francis Lynde
But then he's just as good a ratter as any black-and-tan you ever saw.
Mark Gildersleeve|John S. Sauzade

But Jip it was who, scratching at the foot of the slab like a good ratter, made the discovery which led to our final success.
The Voyages of Doctor Dolittle|Hugh Lofting

British Dictionary definitions for ratter

ratter

/ (ˈrætə) /

noun

a dog or cat that catches and kills rats

another word for rat (def. 3), rat (def. 4)

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