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ratter

American

[rat-er] / ˈræt ər /

noun

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

ratter British

/ ˈrætə /

noun

a dog or cat that catches and kills rats
another word for rat rat

"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

Etymology

Origin of ratter

First recorded in 1825–35; rat + -er ¹

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Expect a few jokes about the apparently gifted "ratter".

From BBC • Feb. 16, 2011

Through gratitude, the turtle came to live with Mr. Green, to serve him as a ratter.

From Time Magazine Archive

It was no weakling and a good ratter, but it had the bad luck to be up against a dedicated fighter who was spoiling for action.

From "Watership Down: A Novel" by Richard Adams

A well trained rat terrier proved to be the best rat-trap we ever had on the premises, and for the poultry raiser who likes dogs a good ratter would be a good investment.

From Prairie Farmer, Vol. 56: No. 1, January 5, 1884. A Weekly Journal for the Farm, Orchard and Fireside by Various

Carlo repays this kindness by keeping the store free from rats, and his reputation as a famous ratter has spread far and wide through the neighborhood.

From Harper's Young People, March 16, 1880 An Illustrated Weekly by Various

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023