Dictionary.com
Thesaurus.com
Showing results for ratter. Search instead for ratters.

ratter

American  
[rat-er] / ˈræt ər /

noun

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


ratter British  
/ ˈrætə /

noun

  1. a dog or cat that catches and kills rats

  2. 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.

See Examples For:

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

He was a very good ratter, and also killed many snakes against which I pitted him.

From Natural History of the Mammalia of India and Ceylon by Robert Armitage Sterndale

Baby had been active and a ratter when she was young, but that was so long ago it was forgotten, and for many years now Baby had wanted only her warm basket and her dinner.

From Three Lives Stories of The Good Anna, Melanctha and The Gentle Lena by Gertrude Stein

Random Word

Spin the wheel and learn a new word!

Get a word

Vocabulary.com logo
by dictionary.com

Look it up. Learn it forever.

Remember new words for good with VocabTrainer. Expand your vocabulary effortlessly with personalized learning tools that adapt to your goals.

Take me to Vocabulary.com