brown rat

noun

Norway rat.

Origin of brown rat

First recorded in 1820–30

Words nearby brown rat

brown mustard, brown nose, brown owl, brown paper, brown patch, brown rat, brown recluse spider, brown rice, brown rot, brown sauce, brown seaweed

British Dictionary definitions for brown rat

brown rat

noun

a common brownish rat, Rattus norvegicus : a serious pest in all parts of the world Also called: Norway rat