noun.
plural An exclamation used to indicate incredulity or ironical disagreement with a statement; humbug.
noun.
A rodent of some of the larger species of the genus Mus, as M. rattus, the black rat, and M. decumanus, the gray, brown, or Norway rat: distinguished from mouse.
noun.
Any rodent of the family Muridæ; a murine; in the plural, the Muridæ.
noun.
Any rodent of the suborder Myomorpha.
noun.
Some other rodent, or some insectivore, marsupial, or other animal like or likened to a rat.
noun.
A person who is considered to act in some respect in a manner characteristic of rats: so called in opprobrium.
noun.
A workman who accepts lower wages than those current at the time and place or required by an authorized scale, or one who takes a position vacated by a striker, or one who refuses to strike when others do.
noun.
A clergyman: so called in contempt.
noun.
Something suggesting the idea of a rat, as a curving roll of stuffed cloth or of crimped hair-work, with tapering ends, formerly (about 1860–70) and still occasionally used by women to puff out the hair, which was turned over it.
noun.
Same as bandicoot, 2.
noun.
A rag; tatter.
To tear.
A term of objurgation, used in the imperative.
To catch or kill rats; follow the business of a ratter or rat-catcher.
To go over from one party or cause to another, especially from a party or cause that is losing or likely to lose, as rats run from a falling house; desert one's party or associates for advantage or gain; become a renegade.
To work for less than current wages, to refuse to strike with fellow-workmen, or to take the place of one who has struck: often with indefinite it. See rat, n., 5 .
To puff out (the hair) by means of a rat. See rat, n., 6.
To displace or supplant union workers in: as. to rat an office or a shop.
A Middle English contracted form of redeth, the third person singular present indicative of read.