Rattus norvegicus
- noun
- /ˈrætəs nɔrˈvɛdʒɪkəs/
- Specialized
:
rata parda
- Infestations of Rattus norvegicus can pose significant health risks in urban areas.
Examples
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Many pet owners now keep domesticated Rattus norvegicus as intelligent and affectionate companions.
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The laboratory used Rattus norvegicus as a model organism for its research.
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The Rattus norvegicus is often found in urban areas.
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Many scientists study the Rattus norvegicus for research purposes.
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Infestations of Rattus norvegicus can pose significant health risks in urban areas.
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Many pet owners now keep domesticated Rattus norvegicus as intelligent and affectionate companions.
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The laboratory used Rattus norvegicus as a model organism for its research.
Synonyms
1
4.2
A large brown rat that lives near people and often causes trouble
1
2.1
A common rat that lives near people and damages food and buildings
Surface Forms
Morphology
Rattus + norvegicus
The first element 'Rattus' clearly signals a rat/genus of rats, and 'norvegicus' transparently looks like a Latinized form meaning 'of Norway' (i.e. 'Norwegian'), so a learner who recognises both parts could infer 'a type of rat / Norwegian rat.' However, mapping that binomial specifically to the common name 'brown rat' and the broader biological/pest connotations requires taxonomic knowledge beyond B1, so the meaning is partially but not fully derivable.
Etymology
Rattus norvegicus comes from old scientific naming: Rattus is Latin for 'rat' and norvegicus means 'from Norway'. Early scientists thought these big brown rats came to Europe on ships and were first noticed in Norway, so the name is used for this common brown rat.