muskrat

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See also: musk-rat

English

Drawing of a muskrat dating from 1927

Alternative forms

Etymology

Perhaps so called for its musky odour and because it resembles a rat, or perhaps called by an (deprecated template usage) [etyl] Lua error in Module:parameters at line 290: Parameter 1 should be a valid language or etymology language code; the value "alg" is not valid. See WT:LOL and WT:LOL/E. name like the Abenaki moskwas, with the spelling altered under the influence of the (deprecated template usage) [etyl] English words musk and rat.

Pronunciation

Noun

muskrat (plural muskrats)

  1. A large aquatic rodent (Ondatra zibethicus).
    • 1865, Henry David Thoreau, Cape Cod, Chapter IX. "The Sea and the Desert", page 187.
      He also said that minks, muskrats, foxes, coons, and wild mice were found there, but no squirrels.
  2. Any of several species of shrews in the family Soricidae, especially the Asian house shrew, Lua error in Module:taxlink at line 68: Parameter "noshow" is not used by this template.

Synonyms

Derived terms

Translations

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References

Anagrams