Found 1 items, similar to Mus rattus.
English → English (gcide)
Definition: Mus rattus
Rat
\Rat\ (r[a^]t), n. [AS. r[ae]t; akin to D. rat, OHG. rato,
ratta, G. ratte, ratze, OLG. ratta, LG. & Dan. rotte, Sw.
r[*a]tta, F. rat, Ir. & Gael radan, Armor. raz, of unknown
origin. Cf.
Raccoon.]
1. (Zo["o]l.) One of several species of small rodents of the
genus
Rattus (formerly included in
Mus) and allied
genera, of the family
Muridae, distinguished from mice
primarily by being larger. They infest houses, stores, and
ships, especially the Norway rat, also called
brown rat,
(
Rattus norvegicus formerly
Mus decumanus), the black
rat (
Rattus rattus formerly
Mus rattus), and the roof
rat (formerly
Mus Alexandrinus, now included in
Rattus rattus
). These were introduced into America from the Old
World. The white rat used most commonly in laboratories is
primarily a strain derived from
Rattus rattus.
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2. A round and tapering mass of hair, or similar material,
used by women to support the puffs and rolls of their
natural hair. [Local, U.S.]
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3. One who deserts his party or associates; hence, in the
trades, one who works for lower wages than those
prescribed by a trades union. [Cant]
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Note:
“It so chanced that, not long after the accession of
the house of Hanover, some of the brown, that is the
German or Norway, rats, were first brought over to this
country (in some timber as is said); and being much
stronger than the black, or, till then, the common,
rats, they in many places quite extirpated the latter.
The word (both the noun and the verb to rat) was first,
as we have seen, leveled at the converts to the
government of George the First, but has by degrees
obtained a wider meaning, and come to be applied to any
sudden and mercenary change in politics.” --Lord
Mahon.
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Bamboo rat (Zo["o]l.), any Indian rodent of the genus
Rhizomys.
Beaver rat,
Coast rat. (Zo["o]l.) See under
Beaver and
Coast.
Blind rat (Zo["o]l.), the mole rat.
Cotton rat (Zo["o]l.), a long-haired rat (
Sigmodon hispidus
), native of the Southern United States and
Mexico. It makes its nest of cotton and is often injurious
to the crop.
Ground rat. See
Ground Pig, under
Ground.
Hedgehog rat. See under
Hedgehog.
Kangaroo rat (Zo["o]l.), the potoroo.
Norway rat (Zo["o]l.), the common brown rat. See
Rat.
Pouched rat. (Zo["o]l.)
(a) See
Pocket Gopher, under
Pocket.
(b) Any African rodent of the genus
Cricetomys.
Rat Indians (Ethnol.), a tribe of Indians dwelling near
Fort Ukon, Alaska. They belong to the Athabascan stock.
Rat mole. (Zo["o]l.) See
Mole rat, under
Mole.
Rat pit, an inclosed space into which rats are put to be
killed by a dog for sport.
Rat snake (Zo["o]l.), a large colubrine snake (
Ptyas mucosus
) very common in India and Ceylon. It enters
dwellings, and destroys rats, chickens, etc.
Spiny rat (Zo["o]l.), any South American rodent of the
genus
Echinomys.
To smell a rat. See under
Smell.
Wood rat (Zo["o]l.), any American rat of the genus
Neotoma, especially
Neotoma Floridana, common in the
Southern United States. Its feet and belly are white.
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Black
\Black\ (bl[a^]k), a. [OE. blak, AS. bl[ae]c; akin to
Icel. blakkr dark, swarthy, Sw. bl["a]ck ink, Dan. bl[ae]k,
OHG. blach, LG. & D. blaken to burn with a black smoke. Not
akin to AS. bl[=a]c, E. bleak pallid. [root]98.]
1. Destitute of light, or incapable of reflecting it; of the
color of soot or coal; of the darkest or a very dark
color, the opposite of
white; characterized by such a
color; as, black cloth; black hair or eyes.
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O night, with hue so black! --Shak.
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2. In a less literal sense: Enveloped or shrouded in
darkness; very dark or gloomy; as, a black night; the
heavens black with clouds.
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I spy a black, suspicious, threatening cloud.
--Shak.
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3. Fig.: Dismal, gloomy, or forbidding, like darkness;
destitute of moral light or goodness; atrociously wicked;
cruel; mournful; calamitous; horrible.
“This day's black
fate.” “Black villainy.” “Arise, black vengeance.”
“Black day.” “Black despair.” --Shak.
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4. Expressing menace, or discontent; threatening; sullen;
foreboding; as, to regard one with black looks.
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Note: Black is often used in self-explaining compound words;
as, black-eyed, black-faced, black-haired,
black-visaged.
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Black act, the English statute 9 George I, which makes it a
felony to appear armed in any park or warren, etc., or to
hunt or steal deer, etc., with the face blackened or
disguised. Subsequent acts inflicting heavy penalties for
malicious injuries to cattle and machinery have been
called black acts.
Black angel (Zo["o]l.), a fish of the West Indies and
Florida (
Holacanthus tricolor), with the head and tail
yellow, and the middle of the body black.
Black antimony (Chem.), the black sulphide of antimony,
Sb2S3, used in pyrotechnics, etc.
Black bear (Zo["o]l.), the common American bear (
Ursus Americanus
).
Black beast. See
B[^e]te noire.
Black beetle (Zo["o]l.), the common large cockroach
(
Blatta orientalis).
Black bonnet (Zo["o]l.), the black-headed bunting (
Embriza Sch[oe]niclus
) of Europe.
Black canker, a disease in turnips and other crops,
produced by a species of caterpillar.
Black cat (Zo["o]l.), the fisher, a quadruped of North
America allied to the sable, but larger. See
Fisher.
Black cattle, any bovine cattle reared for slaughter, in
distinction from dairy cattle. [Eng.]
Black cherry. See under
Cherry.
Black cockatoo (Zo["o]l.), the palm cockatoo. See
Cockatoo.
Black copper. Same as
Melaconite.
Black currant. (Bot.) See
Currant.
Black diamond. (Min.) See
Carbonado.
Black draught (Med.), a cathartic medicine, composed of
senna and magnesia.
Black drop (Med.), vinegar of opium; a narcotic preparation
consisting essentially of a solution of opium in vinegar.
Black earth, mold; earth of a dark color. --Woodward.
Black flag, the flag of a pirate, often bearing in white a
skull and crossbones; a signal of defiance.
Black flea (Zo["o]l.), a flea beetle (
Haltica nemorum)
injurious to turnips.
Black flux, a mixture of carbonate of potash and charcoal,
obtained by deflagrating tartar with half its weight of
niter. --Brande & C.
Black Forest [a translation of G. Schwarzwald], a forest in
Baden and W["u]rtemburg, in Germany; a part of the ancient
Hercynian forest.
Black game, or
Black grouse. (Zo["o]l.) See
Blackcock,
Grouse, and
Heath grouse.
Black grass (Bot.), a grasslike rush of the species
Juncus Gerardi
, growing on salt marshes, and making good hay.
Black gum (Bot.), an American tree, the tupelo or
pepperidge. See
Tupelo.
Black Hamburg (grape) (Bot.), a sweet and juicy variety of
dark purple or
“black” grape.
Black horse (Zo["o]l.), a fish of the Mississippi valley
(
Cycleptus elongatus), of the sucker family; the
Missouri sucker.
Black lemur (Zo["o]l.), the
Lemurniger of Madagascar; the
acoumbo of the natives.
Black list, a list of persons who are for some reason
thought deserving of censure or punishment; -- esp. a list
of persons stigmatized as insolvent or untrustworthy, made
for the protection of tradesmen or employers. See
Blacklist, v. t.
Black manganese (Chem.), the black oxide of manganese,
MnO2.
Black Maria, the close wagon in which prisoners are carried
to or from jail.
Black martin (Zo["o]l.), the chimney swift. See
Swift.
Black moss (Bot.), the common so-called long moss of the
southern United States. See
Tillandsia.
Black oak. See under
Oak.
Black ocher. See
Wad.
Black pigment, a very fine, light carbonaceous substance,
or lampblack, prepared chiefly for the manufacture of
printers' ink. It is obtained by burning common coal tar.
Black plate, sheet iron before it is tinned. --Knight.
Black quarter, malignant anthrax with engorgement of a
shoulder or quarter, etc., as of an ox.
Black rat (Zo["o]l.), one of the species of rats (
Mus rattus
), commonly infesting houses.
Black rent. See
Blackmail, n., 3.
Black rust, a disease of wheat, in which a black, moist
matter is deposited in the fissures of the grain.
Black sheep, one in a family or company who is unlike the
rest, and makes trouble.
Black silver. (Min.) See under
Silver.
Black and tan, black mixed or spotted with tan color or
reddish brown; -- used in describing certain breeds of
dogs.
Black tea. See under
Tea.
Black tin (Mining), tin ore (cassiterite), when dressed,
stamped and washed, ready for smelting. It is in the form
of a black powder, like fine sand. --Knight.
Black walnut. See under
Walnut.
Black warrior (Zo["o]l.), an American hawk (
Buteo Harlani
).
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Syn: Dark; murky; pitchy; inky; somber; dusky; gloomy; swart;
Cimmerian; ebon; atrocious.
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