rotter

See also: Rotter, rötter, and røtter

English

Etymology

rot +‎ -er

Pronunciation

• Audio (AU)

  (file)

• Rhymes: -ɒtə(ɹ)

Noun

rotter (plural rotters)

1. (slang) A despicable, worthless person; a scoundrel.
   • 1988 July 26, Bill Watterson, Calvin & Hobbes (comic):

     Calvin could be anywhere in this zoo. I hope he at least has the sense to stay put, wherever he is. Where would the little rotter go if he was lost and separated from his stuffed toy?

   • 1908 August, George A. Birmingham [pseudonym; James Owen Hannay], chapter VII, in Spanish Gold, 2nd edition, London: Methuen & Co. […], published September 1908, →OCLC, page 76:

     Some Johnny with brains produces a hypothesis. Everybody calls him a rotter at first. But he remains calm in the face of opprobrium.

Anagrams

• Rotert, retort

Danish

Noun

rotter

1. indefinite plural of rotte

Dutch

Pronunciation

• Audio

  (file)

Adjective

rotter

1. inflection of rot:
   1. predicative comparative degree
   2. indefinite neuter singular comparative degree

Middle French

Alternative forms

• roter

Verb

rotter

1. to burp

Conjugation

• Middle French conjugation varies from one text to another. Hence, the following conjugation should be considered as typical, not as exhaustive.

Conjugation of rotter

infinitive	simple	rotter
	compound	avoir + past participle
present participle1 or gerund2	simple	rottant
	compound	present participle or gerund of avoir + past participle
past participle		rotté
		singular			plural
		first	second	third	first	second	third
indicative		ie (i’)	tu	il, elle	nous	vous	ilz, elles
(simple tenses)	present	rotte	rottes	rotte	rottons	rottez	rottent
	imperfect	rottois, rottoys	rottois, rottoys	rottoit, rottoyt	rottions, rottyons	rottiez, rottyez	rottoient, rottoyent
	past historic	rotta	rottas	rotta	rottasmes	rottastes	rotterent
	future	rotterai, rotteray	rotteras	rottera	rotterons	rotterez	rotteront
	conditional	rotterois, rotteroys	rotterois, rotteroys	rotteroit, rotteroyt	rotterions, rotteryons	rotteriez, rotteryez	rotteroient, rotteroyent
(compound tenses)	present perfect	present indicative of avoir + past participle
	pluperfect	imperfect indicative of avoir + past participle
	past anterior	past historic of avoir + past participle
	future perfect	future of avoir + past participle
	conditional perfect	conditional of avoir + past participle
subjunctive		que ie (i’)	que tu	qu’il, qu’elle	que nous	que vous	qu’ilz, qu’elles
(simple tenses)	present	rotte	rottes	rotte	rottons	rottez	rottent
	imperfect	rottasse	rottasses	rottast	rottassions	rottassiez	rottassent
(compound tenses)	past	present subjunctive of avoir + past participle
	pluperfect	imperfect subjunctive of avoir + past participle
imperative		–	tu	–	nous	vous	–
simple		—	rotte	—	rottons	rottez	—
compound		—	simple imperative of avoir + past participle	—	simple imperative of avoir + past participle	simple imperative of avoir + past participle	—
1 The present participle was variable in gender and number until the 17th century (Anne Sancier-Château [1995], Une esthétique nouvelle: Honoré d'Urfé, correcteur de l'Astrée, p. 179). The French Academy would eventually declare it not to be declined in 1679.
2 The gerund was held to be invariable by grammarians of the early 17th century, and was usable with preposition en, as in Modern French, although the preposition was not mandatory (Anne Sancier-Château [1995], op. cit., p. 180).

Descendants

• French: roter

Norwegian Bokmål

Noun

rotter m or f

1. indefinite plural of rotte

Verb

rotter

1. present of rotte

Norwegian Nynorsk

Noun

rotter f

1. indefinite plural of rotte