water rat

English

Alternative forms

• waterrat, water-rat

Etymology

From water ‎ rat. Compare Saterland Frisian Woaterrotte, West Frisian wetterrôt, Dutch waterrat, German Low German Waterrötte, Waterrött, German Wasserratte, Danish vandrotte, Swedish vattenråtta, Icelandic vatnsrotta.

Pronunciation

• Audio (General Australian):

  (file)

Noun

water rat (plural water rats)

1. (US) Any of various aquatic or semi-aquatic rodents from Florida and southern Georgia, especially Neofiber alleni; the muskrat.
   • 2004, James McConnachie, Rough Guide to the Loire, page 43:

     Otters are even harder to spot; the coypu, a North American water rat, is more commonly seen.

2. (Australia) A water mouse, especially, the rakali, Hydromys chrysogaster.
   • 1943, H. Lorna Bingham, The Lost Tribe, Sydney: Winn and Co., page 11, column 1:

     "There [...] you will find the water-hole that is sacred to Biggoon, the giant water rat."

3. (informal) A European water vole (Arvicola amphibius, formerly Arvicola terrestris).
4. (US, slang) A petty thief or waterfront ruffian.
5. (slang) A person fond of water sports.
6. (slang, Australia) A member of the water police.

Derived terms

• Ziegler's water rat

Translations

Neofiber alleni

• Finnish: floridanvesimyyrä

Hydromys chrysogaster — see also rakali

• Finnish: australianvesirotta

Arvicola amphibius

• Finnish: vesimyyrä (fi)
• Greek: νεροαρουραίος m (neroarouraíos)
• Spanish: rata acuática f

waterfront ruffian

• Finnish: rantarosvo

person fond of water sports

• Dutch: waterrat (nl) m, zwemrat m
• Finnish: vesipeto (fi)

member of the water police

See also

• beaver-rat

Anagrams

• Tarwater, tar water