ratness

English

Etymology

rat +‎ -ness

Noun

ratness (uncountable)

1. The quality of being a rat; rattiness.
   • 2002, Laura Whipple, If the Shoe Fits: Voices From Cinderella, →ISBN, page 26:

     Cat is hunger. Cat is cruel. Food — Cat is hunter, a machine who smells ratness, who needs fuel.

   • 2007, Dana Stabenow, A Deeper Sleep, →ISBN, page 153:

     All in all, an exemplar of Park ratness, their Bernie.

   • 2008, Joseph A. McCaffrey, The Marksman's Case, →ISBN, page 88:

     And then you add to it the judgment that the victims are some form of deserving species of ratness, further reducing the numbers. But ratness is relative, right?

   • 2011, Mary Caroline Richards, The Crossing Point: Selected Talks and Writings, →ISBN, page 150:

     But they are much better at ratness or guineapigness or monkey business than we are because of other things we have that thicken the plot: like capacities for wonder and conscience and compassion. These tend to bring us into conflict with our ratness or guineapigness or monkey shines.

Anagrams

• Starnes, Stearns, santers, sarsnet, transes