brown rat

noun

: a common domestic rat (Rattus norvegicus) that has been introduced worldwide

called also Norway rat

Examples of brown rat in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Riegel and others also had a chance to compare notes with an array of rat experts from Seattle, Boston, Washington, D.C., and British Columbia, Canada. Unlike New York, New Orleans faces a pernicious rat situation because the city is going after not just brown rats, but also black rats. Eduardo Cuevas, USA TODAY, 6 Oct. 2024 For example, brown rats typically burrow in the ground, near humans. Eduardo Cuevas, USA TODAY, 6 Oct. 2024 But the history, evolution and ecology of rats – particularly the brown rat – isn’t well understood. Nathan Rott, NPR, 20 Sep. 2024 Scientists used to think that brown rats arrived around 1776. CBS News, 4 Apr. 2024 See all Example Sentences for brown rat 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'brown rat.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1737, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of brown rat was in 1737

Dictionary Entries Near brown rat

Cite this Entry

“Brown rat.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/brown%20rat. Accessed 5 Nov. 2024.

Kids Definition

brown rat

noun
: the common rat that is found about human dwellings

Medical Definition

brown rat

noun
: a common domestic rat of the genus Rattus (R. norvegicus) that has been introduced worldwide

called also Norway rat

More from Merriam-Webster on brown rat

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!