pack rat
noun
1
: wood rat
especially
: a bushy-tailed rodent (Neotoma cinerea) of western North America that has well-developed cheek pouches and that hoards food and miscellaneous objects
2
: a person who collects or hoards especially unneeded items
Examples of pack rat in a Sentence
I'm a terrible pack rat. I never throw anything away.
Recent Examples on the Web
Other than the knife and a wooden artifact found in a pack rat’s nest, thought to be the shaft of an atlatl dart-throwing tool, no human artifacts or remains were ever found there.
—
Michael Ray Taylor, Smithsonian Magazine, 14 May 2025
The pack rat, whose entire yard is filled with stuff — a total junkyard.
—Chi Varnado, San Diego Union-Tribune, 7 May 2025
After a brief hike through some scrub, Wall finds a creosote bush studded with holes at the roots — evidence of pack rats that will provide the snake with sustenance.
—Alex Wigglesworth, Los Angeles Times, 5 May 2024
Working from the assumption that hoarding is a damaging psychological condition, and not just an annoying habit, the researchers got previously incorrigible pack rats to take videos and photos of their treasured possessions.
—Joe Queenan, WSJ, 9 Nov. 2023
See All Example Sentences for pack rat
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Michael Ray Taylor, Smithsonian Magazine, 14 May 2025
The pack rat, whose entire yard is filled with stuff — a total junkyard.
—Chi Varnado, San Diego Union-Tribune, 7 May 2025
After a brief hike through some scrub, Wall finds a creosote bush studded with holes at the roots — evidence of pack rats that will provide the snake with sustenance.
—Alex Wigglesworth, Los Angeles Times, 5 May 2024
Working from the assumption that hoarding is a damaging psychological condition, and not just an annoying habit, the researchers got previously incorrigible pack rats to take videos and photos of their treasured possessions.
—Joe Queenan, WSJ, 9 Nov. 2023
See All Example Sentences for pack rat
Cite this Entry
“Pack rat.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pack%20rat. Accessed 5 Jul. 2025.
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