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rat — a small rodent with a long tail, larger than a mouse

Part of speech: NOUN

Definition: a small rodent with a long tail, larger than a mouse

Pronunciation (IPA): /ræt/

Example Sentences

  • My cat brought a dead rat as a 'gift' to my bedroom this morning.
  • I smell a rat - why is he being so nice to me suddenly?
  • The office rat told the boss that we were planning a surprise party during work hours.

rat

NOUN

[/ræt/]

a small rodent with a long tail, larger than a mouse

a brown rat with a long pink tail scurries across a wooden shelf between food packages. The rat pauses to sniff at a torn bag of flour with white powder spilling out. A house cat crouches on a lower shelf, watching the rat with alert green eyes and twitching whiskers. The cat's tail swishes back and forth as it prepares to pounce upward. A woman in the background points toward the shelf with a startled expression.  a small rodent with a long tail that is larger than a mouse. Style: High-quality 2D vector cartoon illustration with bold outlines and dramatic tension. Color palette: warm brown and tan tones contrasted with bright kitchen lighting and colorful food packaging. High resolution 1:1 square composition The main subject must fill most of the frame Avoid empty background areas STRICT NO TEXT RULE Absolutely no text anywhere No letters No numbers No logos No labels No signage Replace any text areas with blank surfaces
💡 Concept

a brown rat with a long pink tail scurries across a wooden shelf between food packages. The rat pauses to sniff at a torn bag of flour with white powder spilling out. A house cat crouches on a lower shelf, watching the rat with alert green eyes and twitching whiskers. The cat's tail swishes back and forth as it prepares to pounce upward. A woman in the background points toward the shelf with a startled expression. a small rodent with a long tail that is larger than a mouse. Style: High-quality 2D vector cartoon illustration with bold outlines and dramatic tension. Color palette: warm brown and tan tones contrasted with bright kitchen lighting and colorful food packaging. High resolution 1:1 square composition The main subject must fill most of the frame Avoid empty background areas STRICT NO TEXT RULE Absolutely no text anywhere No letters No numbers No logos No labels No signage Replace any text areas with blank surfaces

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🎤Pronunciation

🇺🇸 US/ræt/
🇬🇧 UK/ræt/

🌳Etymology

Rootrat

Origin

The word 'rat' derives from Old English 'ræt', which shares a common Germanic root with cognate words across Germanic language families. The semantic extension from the literal meaning 'rodent' to the figurative meaning 'traitor' or 'informer' developed due to the animal's association with cunning and destructive behavior.

Breakdown

Old English 'ræt' (rodent) is a simple root word with no further morphological breakdown; it reflects a Proto-Germanic base without identifiable affixes.

🎵Rhyme

cat
bat
hat
fat
mat

🔗Collocations

lab rat
rat race
smell a rat
rat out
pack rat
water rat
desert rat

📝Examples

😄 Fun example

“My cat brought a dead rat as a 'gift' to my bedroom this morning.”

“I smell a rat - why is he being so nice to me suddenly?”

😄 Fun example

“The office rat told the boss that we were planning a surprise party during work hours.”

“She's tired of the rat race and wants to move to the countryside.”

📚Related Words

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