brown rat

noun

Definition of brown rat

: a common domestic rat (Rattus norvegicus) that has been introduced worldwide

— called also Norway rat

Examples of brown rat in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Black rats weigh in at 41/2 ounces and grow up to 5 to 6 inches long; adult brown rats weigh 9 to 10 ounces and reach up to 16 inches. — Kym Pokorny, OregonLive.com, "'It's a bad year for rats' in Oregon cities: Here's how to fight them," 13 Feb. 2018 In our study, the commonest wild animal detected in New York City waters was the brown rat, a common urban denizen. — Mark Stoeckle, Smithsonian, "Scientists Can Tell What Fish Live Where Based On DNA in the Water," 13 Apr. 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'brown rat.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Keep scrolling for more

Learn More about brown rat

Dictionary Entries near brown rat

brown podzolic soil

brown recluse spider

Statistics for brown rat

Look-up Popularity

Time Traveler for brown rat

The first known use of brown rat was in 1737

See more words from the same year

Keep scrolling for more

More Definitions for brown rat

brown rat

noun

Medical Definition of brown rat

: a common domestic rat of the genus Rattus (R. norvegicus) that has been introduced worldwide

— called also Norway rat

Comments on brown rat

What made you want to look up brown rat? Please tell us where you read or heard it (including the quote, if possible).

WORD OF THE DAY

hamartia

a flaw that causes the downfall of a hero

Test Your Vocabulary

A Green Quiz

What is the best definition of green-eyed monster?

How Strong Is Your Vocabulary?

Test your vocabulary with our 10-question quiz!

TAKE THE QUIZ

SCRABBLE® Sprint

Test Your Knowledge - and learn some interesting things along the way.

TAKE THE QUIZ

Words at Play

Ask the Editors

Word Games