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Examples of water rat in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Scientists suspect the creatures’ diets changed because of the arrival of a new competitor, the Australian water rat, or rakali, reports the Sydney Morning Herald’s Angus Dalton.
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Sarah Kuta, Smithsonian Magazine, 13 June 2024
The researchers think competition for food caused the disappearance of teeth in the platypus—the spread of the Australo-New Guinean water rat may have affected which prey platypuses hunted for.
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Elizabeth Rayne, Ars Technica, 7 June 2024
The water rats may have started feasting on harder animals like crayfish and mussels, which pushed monotremes toward softer foods like shrimp and worms.
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Sarah Kuta, Smithsonian Magazine, 13 June 2024
An Aboriginal dreamtime story about the platypus (one indigenous name for the animal is Dharragarra) explains its origin as the product of a courtship between a water rat and a duck.
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Helen Sullivan, New York Times, 4 Feb. 2020
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Word History
First Known Use
15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1
Time Traveler
The first known use of water rat was
in the 15th century
Dictionary Entries Near water rat
Cite this Entry
“Water rat.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/water%20rat. Accessed 5 Feb. 2025.
Kids Definition
water rat
noun
: a rodent that is found in or near water
More from Merriam-Webster on water rat
Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about water rat
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