muskrat
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See also: musk-rat
English[edit]
Alternative forms[edit]
Etymology[edit]
Perhaps so called for its musky odour and because it resembles a rat, or perhaps called by an Algonquian name like the Abenaki moskwas, with the spelling altered under the influence of the English words musk and rat.
Pronunciation[edit]
Noun[edit]
muskrat (plural muskrats)
- A large aquatic rodent (Ondatra zibethicus).
- 1865, Henry David Thoreau, Cape Cod, Chapter IX. "The Sea and the Desert", page 187.
- He also said that minks, muskrats, foxes, coons, and wild mice were found there, but no squirrels.
- 1865, Henry David Thoreau, Cape Cod, Chapter IX. "The Sea and the Desert", page 187.
- Any of several species of shrews in the family Soricidae, especially the Asian house shrew (Suncus murinus).
Synonyms[edit]
- ondatra (dialectal), 'rat (chiefly informal), rat (chiefly informal)
- (Ondatra zibethicus): musquash
- (Suncus murinus): Asian house shrew, musk shrew
Derived terms[edit]
Translations[edit]
Ondatra zibethicus
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Suncus murinus
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- The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout § Translations.
References[edit]
- muskrat on Wikipedia.Wikipedia
- Asian house shrew on Wikipedia.Wikipedia
- Ondatra zibethicus on Wikispecies.Wikispecies
- Suncus murinus on Wikispecies.Wikispecies
- Ondatra zibethicus on Wikimedia Commons.Wikimedia Commons