Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

rat terrier

Word Rarity Rare

Frequency: Zipf frequency 3.19 in modern English

Syllables: rat ter-ri-er
IPA

10

Scrabble Score

10

Letters

3

Syllables

5

Unique Chars

Meaning

noun

A dog breed, or set of breeds, with a background as a farm dog and hunting companion.

Example Sentences

"In a few moments he returned and introduced an individual of about his own age, who seemed to be a cross between a rat terrier and a bull-dog, so exactly blended in his countenance and general appearance were the evidences of cunningness, activity and ferocious strength."

Etymology

Named for its talent and avidity for flushing and catching rats. Useful to hunters of various game, useful to farms for pest control, and (like farm cats) inexpensive to keep because it can feed itself via its own hunting pasttime.

Inflected Forms

rat terriers (plural)

Phrases

rat snake

Frequently Paired Words

rat snake ratting

Synonyms

ratter

Questions

What does rat terrier mean?: A dog breed, or set of breeds, with a background as a farm dog and hunting companion.
Where does rat terrier come from?: Named for its talent and avidity for flushing and catching rats. Useful to hunters of various game, useful to farms for pest control, and (like farm cats) inexpensive to keep because it can feed itself via its own hunting pasttime.

How to pronounce rat terrier

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