Packrat
/ˈpækˌræt/noun
A person who hoards or saves things, often uselessly.
Did you know?The word is a modern American compound from pack + rat, and the “rat” image taps into a long tradition of using rats as symbols of scavenging, secrecy, and hidden accumulation.
Etymological Timeline
Old English
OE
pæcc
“A pack or bundle”
Middle English
ME
pac
“A pack or burden”
Middle English
ME
ratte
“Rat, the animal”
19th Century
English
packrat
“A person or animal that collects and stores things”
Modern English
English
packrat
“A person who hoards or saves things, often uselessly”