Meanings
plural rattraps · alternative rat trap · alternative rat-trap
- A device (trap) used to catch rats.
1 more example
... the whole world with its lands and seas, its cities and villages - was nothing but a big rattrap. It had never existed for any other purpose than to set baits for people. It offered riches and joys, shelter and food, heat and clothing, exactly as the rattrap offered cheese and pork, and as soon as anyone let himself be tempted to touch the bait, it closed in on him, and then everything came to an end.
(Can we date this quote?), Selma Lagerlöf, The Rattrap - A dilapidated building, a place that is run down and unsanitary.
- A difficult, entangling situation.
Origin
- Middle Englishrat trappe
- Englishrattrap
From Middle English rat trappe; equivalent to rat + trap.
More words from Middle English
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Bulgarian капа́н за плъ́хове
- капа́н за плъ́хове (kapán za plắhove)device used to catch rats
Finnish rotanloukku
- rotanloukkudevice used to catch rats
French piège à rats, ratière
- piège à ratsdevice used to catch rats
- ratièredevice used to catch rats
German Rattenfalle
- Rattenfalledevice used to catch rats
Japanese ネズミ捕り, 鼠落とし
- ネズミ捕り (nezumitori)device used to catch rats
- 鼠落とし (nezumiotoshi)device used to catch rats
Korean 쥐덫
- 쥐덫 (jwideot)device used to catch rats
Polish pułapka na myszy
- pułapka na myszydevice used to catch rats
Russian крысоло́вка, безвыходное положение
- крысоло́вка (krysolóvka)device used to catch rats
- безвыходное положение (bezvyxodnoje položenije)difficult, entangling situation
Vietnamese bẫy chuột
- bẫy chuộtdevice used to catch rats
Rhymes & wordplay
Anagrams
Cite this entry
rattrap. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/rattrap
“rattrap.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/rattrap. Accessed November 3, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “rattrap,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/rattrap.
Source: rattrap on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.