Rat
/ræt/noun
A small gnawing rodent, especially one of the genus Rattus.
Did you know?The word rat is ancient in English and appears to be ultimately onomatopoeic, which means its origin may come from the animal’s own scratching and gnawing sounds rather than a neat symbolic root.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*reh₁- / *ret-
“A proposed imitative base associated with scratching, gnawing, or making a harsh sound”
Proto-Germanic
PGmc
*rattō
“Rat; rodent”
Old English
OE
ræt
“Rat, mouse-like rodent”
Middle English
ME
ratte
“Rat”
Modern English
English
rat
“A small gnawing rodent”