Norway rat

noun

Examples of Norway rat in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web The Environmental Protection Agency states that the most common rodents to be found in homes are the Norway rat and the roof rat. Nina Turner, Newsweek, 29 Oct. 2024 The house mouse, roof rat and Norway rat are prolific breeders, the agency says on its website, and frequent pests in residential and urban areas. Carlie Kollath Wells, Axios, 6 Sep. 2024 The Norway rat, the most common species in the state, often breeds in the warmer months leading to increases in sightings, according to the state’s Department of Energy and Environmental Protection. Stephen Underwood, Hartford Courant, 9 July 2024 Cases in New York are largely associated with exposure to materials contaminated with rat urine from the Norway rat. Louis Casiano, Fox News, 18 Apr. 2024 Humans, centuries ago, brought the Norway rat to the shores of the city. Dodai Stewart, New York Times, 14 Apr. 2023 The brown rat—also called the Norway rat, common rat, street rat or sewer rat—likely arrived in New York City sometime around the Revolutionary War. Margaret Osborne, Smithsonian Magazine, 17 Apr. 2023 Brown rats, also known as Norway rats, have coexisted with humans for thousands of years and are prolific transmitters of human diseases. Melissa Healy, Los Angeles Times, 10 Mar. 2023 But the Christmas Island rat has a close evolutionary descendent in the Norway rat. Mike Snider, USA TODAY, 10 Mar. 2022

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'Norway 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

1753, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of Norway rat was in 1753

Dictionary Entries Near Norway rat

Cite this Entry

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

Kids Definition

Norway rat

noun

Medical Definition

Norway rat

noun
Nor·​way rat ˌnȯ(ə)r-wā- How to pronounce Norway rat (audio)
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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