water rat

noun

1. any of various rodents having aquatic habits.
2. the muskrat, Ondatra zibethica.
3. (in Australia and New Guinea) any of the aquatic rats of the subfamily Hydromyinae, especially of the genus Hydromys.
4. Slang. a vagrant or thief who frequents a waterfront.

water rat

noun

1. any of several small amphibious rodents, esp the water vole or the muskrat
2. any of various amphibious rats of the subfamily Hydromyinae, of New Guinea, the Philippines, and Australia
3. informal.
   a person who is very fond of water sports

Word History and Origins

Origin of water rat¹

First recorded in 1545–55

Example Sentences

"Adult platypus have no teeth, though juveniles have rudimentary molars. Just when and why adult platypus lost their teeth after nearly 100 million years is a mystery we think we have solved. It may have been competition with the Australian water rat, which arrived in Australia within the last 2 million years, which caused platypus to seek out softer, slipperier food best processed with the leathery pads that adults use today," Professor Flannery said.

From Science Daily

“I was just like a water rat,” he told Robert Fowler, a military historian, in 1996.

From New York Times

A sequel to children’s classic “The Wind in the Willows” as enchanting as the original, this feminist take on Toad, Water Rat, et al., introduces us to Beryl, a “young lady mole” who’s also a novelist, and her best friend, Rabbit.

From Seattle Times

A water rat scuttled away as the children felt their way I along the narrow passage.

From Literature

“Just you wait, you little water rat!”

From Literature