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rattrap

rattrap

1 6.7
A small box or metal tool that catches rats
  • noun
  • /ˈrætˌtræp/
translation icon : trampa para ratas
  • To catch the rats in the barn, I set a rattrap with cheese as bait.

Examples

  • Soon I picked up a paper route, put a rattrap on the back (man, those spring-loaded things are useless), then bolted a milk crate onto the rattrap (which made my paper route easier).

    Blog text (15)
  • I'm gonna bait me a rattrap, and this is the cheese.

  • Soon I picked up a paper route, put a rattrap on the back (man, those spring-loaded things are useless), then bolted a milk crate onto the rattrap (which made my paper route easier).

    Blog text (15)
  • The farmer bought several rattraps to keep the rodent population under control.

  • After noticing signs of a rat infestation, he decided it was time to invest in a good rattrap.

Surface Forms

rattrap singular
rattraps plural

Morphology

rattrap = rat + trap (transparent) = rat + trap

Direct compound of 'rat' + 'trap' denoting a device for catching rats; meaning is compositionally obvious.

Etymology

Rattrap is simply the familiar words rat and trap put together, so it literally meant a 'trap for rats'. So a rattrap is the device you use to catch or kill rats.