Rat

rat, n. an animal of the genus Mus , larger and more destructive than the mouse: a renegade, turncoat: a workman who accepts lower than the authorised wages, who declines to join in a strike, or who takes a striker's work: a roll of anything used to puff out the hair which is turned over it.— v.i. ( coll. ) to desert one's party and join their opponents for gain or power: to take lower than current wages, to refuse to join in a strike, to take a striker's place:— pr.p. rat′ting; pa.p. and pa.t. rat′ted. — ns. Rat′-catch′er , one whose busine it is to catch rats; Rat′-catch′ing ; Rat′-hole ( print. ), a pigeon-hole; Rat′-pit , an enclosure where rats are killed; Rat′-poi′son , a preparation of arsenic; Rat's′-bane , poison for rats: arsenious acid; Rat′-tail , an excrescence growing on a horse's leg.— adj. Rat′-tailed , having a tail like a rat.— ns. Rat′ter , a terrier which catches rats; Rat′tery , apostasy; Rat′ting , deserting one's principles: working for le than the usual prices: setting a dog to kill rats in a pit; Rat′-trap , a trap for catching rats.— Rat-tailed larva , the larva of certain syrphid flies.— Smell a rat , to have a suspicion. [A.S. ræt ; Ger. ratte .]