roof rat

noun

a black rat, Rattus rattus alexandrinus, often found on the upper floors of buildings in warm areas.

Origin of roof rat

¹

First recorded in 1810–20

Sometimes Alexandrine rat .

Words Nearby roof rat

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

How to use roof rat in a sentence

He also states that the black rat and the roof rat (Alexandrinus), both varieties of M. rattus, differ chiefly in color.
Plague | Thomas Wright Jackson
The roof rat is common in many parts of the South, where it is a persistent pest in cane and rice fields.
House Rats and Mice | David E. Lantz

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