ratter

[ rat-er ]

noun

1. a person, animal, or thing that catches rats, as a terrier or a cat.

ratter

/ ˈrætə /

noun

1. a dog or cat that catches and kills rats
2. another word for rat rat

Word History and Origins

Origin of ratter¹

First recorded in 1825–35; rat + -er ¹

Example Sentences

As humans bred dogs to be companions, herders, hunters or ratters, we also bred some to be adept at surviving in the cold.

From Salon

As a player, he loved a challenge - I played with him in midfield and we were like two ratters together - but he was really good on the ball as well.

From BBC

Ms Bingham said she had gone to feed Spider and the other cats who live in an outbuilding on the edge of a smallholding near her home, where the animals act as mousers and ratters.

From BBC

One worker told a reporter that a ratter named Minnie “deserves a gold medal for preserving the property of the United States government,” Gavan writes.

From The Guardian

It was no weakling and a good ratter, but it had the bad luck to be up against a dedicated fighter who was spoiling for action.

From Literature