Ratten
/ˈrætən/noun
To steal or destroy workers’ tools, especially as an act of industrial sabotage or during a labor dispute.
Did you know?In 19th-century British mining disputes, “rattening” could involve hiding or destroying miners’ tools to pressure them into returning to work or abandoning a strike.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Germanic or early Germanic period
Germanic
*ratōn
“A proposed ancestral form connected with the rat-name; the ultimate origin is uncertain and may be expressive.”
Middle English, 13th–14th Century
English
rat
“A rat; a small rodent, probably borrowed through Anglo-French or another Romance source.”
16th Century
English
rat
“A contemptuous term for a person regarded as treacherous or disloyal.”
19th Century
English
ratten
“To steal, hide, or damage another person’s tools, particularly in mining and labor disputes.”
19th–20th Century
English
rattening
“The practice or act of carrying out such tool sabotage, especially among industrial workers and miners.”