Meanings
plural water rats · alternative waterrat · alternative water-rat
- USAny of various aquatic or semi-aquatic rodents from Florida and southern Georgia, especially Neofiber alleni; the muskrat.
Otters are even harder to spot; the coypu, a North American water rat, is more commonly seen.
2004, James McConnachie, Rough Guide to the Loire, page 43 - AustraliaA water mouse, especially, the rakali, Hydromys chrysogaster.
"There [...] you will find the water-hole that is sacred to Biggoon, the giant water rat."
1943, H. Lorna Bingham, The Lost Tribe, Sydney: Winn and Co., page 11, column 1 - informalA European water vole (Arvicola amphibius, formerly Arvicola terrestris).
- USslangA petty thief or waterfront ruffian.
- slangA person fond of water sports.
- AustraliaslangA member of the water police.
Synonyms & antonyms
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
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.
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Dutch waterrat, zwemrat
- waterratperson fond of water sports
- zwemratperson fond of water sports
Finnish floridanvesimyyrä, australianvesirotta
- floridanvesimyyräNeofiber alleni
- australianvesirottaHydromys chrysogaster — see also rakali
- vesimyyräArvicola amphibius
- rantarosvowaterfront ruffian
- vesipetoperson fond of water sports
Greek νεροαρουραίος
- νεροαρουραίος (neroarouraíos)Arvicola amphibius
Spanish rata acuática
- rata acuáticaArvicola amphibius
Cite this entry
water rat. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/water%20rat
“water rat.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/water%20rat. Accessed November 4, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “water rat,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/water%20rat.
Source: water rat on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.