English Explanatory Dictionary

muskrat

English dictionary entry

Meanings

noun
  1. A semiaquatic rodent of the tribe Ondatrini.
  2. Any of several shrews in the family Soricidae, especially an Asian house shrew (Suncus murinus).
  3. A bandicoot rat.

Pronunciation

/ˈmʌskɹæt/ LL-Q1860 (eng)-Vealhurl-muskrat.wav

Word forms

muskrat muskrats musk-rat

Etymology

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.

Synonyms

musquash ondatra 'rat rat Asian house shrew musk shrew

Derived words

Louisiana muskrat muskrat root muskratty muskrat weed
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