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Examples of water rat in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The researchers think competition for food caused the disappearance of teeth in the platypus—the spread of the Australo-New Guinean water rat may have affected which prey platypuses hunted for.
—Elizabeth Rayne, Ars Technica, 7 June 2024
The water rats may have started feasting on harder animals like crayfish and mussels, which pushed monotremes toward softer foods like shrimp and worms.
—Sarah Kuta, Smithsonian Magazine, 13 June 2024
An Aboriginal dreamtime story about the platypus (one indigenous name for the animal is Dharragarra) explains its origin as the product of a courtship between a water rat and a duck.
—Helen Sullivan, New York Times, 4 Feb. 2020
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Word History
First Known Use
15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1
Time Traveler
The first known use of water rat was
in the 15th century
Dictionary Entries Near water rat
Cite this Entry
“Water rat.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/water%20rat. Accessed 5 Nov. 2024.
Kids Definition
water rat
noun
: a rodent that is found in or near water
More from Merriam-Webster on water rat
Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about water rat
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