sewer rat en · NOUN
Pronunciation
- (US) audio
Meanings
-
The brown rat (Rattus norvegicus).
The black rat [...] became extinct in Britain following the Roman withdrawal, only to reappear in Norman times. Thereafter the black rat prospered - until the arrival of the larger brown rat (also known as the sewer rat or Norway rat), which reached Britain at about the time of the Hanoverian succession in the eighteenth century.
2018, Tim Flannery, Europe: A Natural History, page 272:
- (derogatory) A contemptible person.
- Used other than figuratively or idiomatically: Any rat that lives in sewers.
Forms
| Spelling | Features | Labels | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| sewer rats | Number=Plur | lexicographic |
Synonyms
gutter rat · Norway rat · Norwegian rat · scumbag
Translations (11)
fi viemärirotta (any rat that lives in sewers) · de Kanalratte (a contemptible person) · fi rotta (a contemptible person) · pl skurczybyk (a contemptible person) · sv kloakråtta (any rat that lives in sewers) · fi ketku (a contemptible person) · fr rat d'égout (any rat that lives in sewers) · fi moukka (a contemptible person) · pl szczur kanałowy (any rat that lives in sewers) · nl rioolrat (any rat that lives in sewers) · de Kanalratte (any rat that lives in sewers)