Norway rat

noun

Examples of Norway rat in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Humans, centuries ago, brought the Norway rat to the shores of the city. Dodai Stewart, New York Times, 14 Apr. 2023 The brown rat—also called the Norway rat, common rat, street rat or sewer rat—likely arrived in New York City sometime around the Revolutionary War. Margaret Osborne, Smithsonian Magazine, 17 Apr. 2023 Brown rats, also known as Norway rats, have coexisted with humans for thousands of years and are prolific transmitters of human diseases. Melissa Healy, Los Angeles Times, 10 Mar. 2023 But the Christmas Island rat has a close evolutionary descendent in the Norway rat. Mike Snider, USA TODAY, 10 Mar. 2022 Seoul spreads among and from the common brown rat—sometimes called a sewer rat, wharf rat, or Norway rat. Beth Mole, Ars Technica, 4 Mar. 2022 The Norway rat, the species abundant in New York City, makes its home in sewers, sidewalks and underground burrows. Amanda Schupak, CNN, 19 Sep. 2021 According to the Los Angeles Department of Health Services, the Norway rat, roof rat, domestic cat, and opossum are typically involved in the transmission of murine typhus to people in Los Angeles County. Claire Gillespie, Health.com, 6 Nov. 2020 Most folks cringe at the very sight of rat, which in and around San Antonio likely means a chubby brown Norway rat or a slim and shady roof rat. René A. Guzman, ExpressNews.com, 15 Sep. 2020

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'Norway rat.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1753, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of Norway rat was in 1753

Dictionary Entries Near Norway rat

Cite this Entry

“Norway rat.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Norway%20rat. Accessed 29 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

Norway rat

noun

Medical Definition

Norway rat

noun
Nor·​way rat ˌnȯ(ə)r-wā- How to pronounce Norway rat (audio)
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