brown rat
noun
: a common domestic rat (Rattus norvegicus) that has been introduced worldwide
called also Norway rat
Examples of brown rat in a Sentence
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Tragically, these giant tortoises were almost all wiped out by humans (who ate them) along with their pests, particularly black and brown rats and domesticated goats (which competed for scarce food and destroyed the fragile habitat).
—
Grrlscientist, Forbes.com, 12 Apr. 2025
The lowly brown rat, by contrast, is a nimble navigator that has no problem finding its way around, under, over, and through the toughest spaces.
—IEEE Spectrum, 1 June 2017
To be clear, these population estimates of exotica do not count the many millions of other, less welcome and nonnative mammals, such as feral hogs, nutria, black rats, brown rats or house mice that were introduced to Texas, on purpose or by accident.
—Michael Barnes, Austin American-Statesman, 9 Sep. 2024
Then, the most prevalent species was the brown rat or Rattus norvegicus.
—Eduardo Cuevas, USA TODAY, 6 Oct. 2024
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Grrlscientist, Forbes.com, 12 Apr. 2025
The lowly brown rat, by contrast, is a nimble navigator that has no problem finding its way around, under, over, and through the toughest spaces.
—IEEE Spectrum, 1 June 2017
To be clear, these population estimates of exotica do not count the many millions of other, less welcome and nonnative mammals, such as feral hogs, nutria, black rats, brown rats or house mice that were introduced to Texas, on purpose or by accident.
—Michael Barnes, Austin American-Statesman, 9 Sep. 2024
Then, the most prevalent species was the brown rat or Rattus norvegicus.
—Eduardo Cuevas, USA TODAY, 6 Oct. 2024
See All Example Sentences for brown rat
Cite this Entry
“Brown rat.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/brown%20rat. Accessed 7 Jul. 2025.
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