rat
/ræt/ (bre, ipa) · [rˈæt] /ræt/ (ame, ipa) · [rˈæt] /ˈrat/ (ame, mw)
rat — 名詞
- ratsingular
- ratsplural
1. A small furry animal with a pointed nose, a hairless tail, and strong front teet
老鼠
比小鼠大的囓齒動物
A small furry animal with a pointed nose, a hairless tail, and strong front teeth. These animals grow bigger than common mice and often live in or near human homes, where they may be treated as pests or kept as pets.
Hana saw a large rat run across the kitchen floor and screamed.
Hana 看見一隻大老鼠跑過廚房地板，嚇得尖叫起來。
Ritu keeps two pet rats in a glass cage with wood shavings and a wheel.
Ritu 在一個鋪了木屑、裝有小滾輪的玻璃籠子裡養了兩隻寵物鼠。
collocation: pet rat
In the old warehouse, rats had chewed through several bags of flour.
在那間舊倉庫裡，老鼠咬破了好幾袋麵粉。
The landlord called an exterminator because the apartment building had a serious rat problem.
房東打電話叫了除蟲公司，因為那棟公寓大樓有嚴重的鼠患。
A brown rat can squeeze through a hole no bigger than a coin.
一隻褐鼠能從比一枚硬幣還小的洞鑽過去。
常見錯誤
2. An insulting word for someone who cheats, lies to, or leaves behind the people w
卑鄙小人
欺騙或背叛他人的可惡之人
An insulting word for someone who cheats, lies to, or leaves behind the people who trusted them, such as friends or work partners.
Bilal called his former business partner a dirty rat after losing all his savings.
Bilal 在賠光所有積蓄後，罵他的前合夥人是個卑鄙無恥的叛徒。
collocation: dirty rat
Élise realized a friend had turned rat when the police arrived at her door.
Élise 發現有個朋友出賣了她，因為警察找上了她家門。
phrasal: turn rat
The newspaper described the mayor as a rat who had tricked the voters for years.
報紙形容那位市長是個欺騙選民多年的卑鄙小人。
Tendai warned his younger brother not to trust that man, calling him a lying rat.
Tendai 警告弟弟不要相信那個男人，說他是個滿口謊言的叛徒。
- traitor
more general; can refer to betraying a country, group, or cause
- informer
neutral or negative; specifically refers to someone who gives information to authorities
- backstabber
suggests betrayal through secret or dishonest actions
- snitch
slang; specifically refers to someone who tells on others, especially to police
- ally
someone who supports and stands by you
- loyal friend
someone who stays faithful even in difficult situations
用法筆記
Strongly offensive. Avoid using in polite or professional conversation. Often appears in fixed name-calling phrases such as 'dirty rat' or 'lying rat.'
3. A fast medical test that checks for a specific virus or bacteria by looking for
快篩
新型冠狀病毒快速抗原檢測
A fast medical test that checks for a specific virus or bacteria by looking for proteins called antigens on a small sample, usually taken from the nose or throat.
The school required a negative RAT result before students could return to class.
學校規定學生必須出示陰性的 RAT 檢測結果才能回教室上課。
abbreviation: RAT stands for rapid antigen test
Anong took a RAT at home and was relieved to see only one line appear.
Anong 在家做了快篩，看到只有一條線出現，鬆了一口氣。
Many pharmacies sold RAT kits so people could check themselves before visiting family.
許多藥局販售快篩試劑，讓民眾在探訪家人前可以先自行檢測。
The nurse said a RAT gives results in fifteen minutes, faster than a lab test.
護理師解釋說，快篩十五分鐘就能出結果，比送實驗室快多了。
- rapid test
shorter form, less specific about the type of test
- PCR test
a different type of test that looks for genetic material and takes longer to process
用法筆記
Almost always written in all-caps (RAT) when used as an abbreviation. Spoken as separate letters (R-A-T), not as the word 'rat.' Common in public health and medical contexts, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic.
4. A small device with spinning blades that drops out of an aircraft when the main
衝壓渦輪
飛機緊急供電裝置
A small device with spinning blades that drops out of an aircraft when the main engines fail, using the flow of outside air to produce emergency electricity or power for the control systems.
When both engines shut down, the RAT deployed automatically beneath the aircraft's wing.
兩具引擎都熄火時，RAT 會自動從機翼下方彈出。
passive: RAT deployed
The pilot checked that the RAT had enough hydraulic pressure to move the control surfaces.
機長確認 RAT 有足夠的液壓來操控飛行控制面。
During the emergency landing, the RAT provided the power needed to steer the plane safely.
緊急降落期間，RAT 提供了安全操控飛機所需的動力。
Engineers designed the RAT to pop out automatically when the main power supply fails.
工程師設計 RAT 在主電源失效時會自動彈出。
用法筆記
Almost always written as the abbreviation RAT in aviation contexts. Spoken as 'R-A-T,' not as 'rat.' This term is extremely specialized and appears almost exclusively in aircraft maintenance manuals and pilot training materials.
rat — 動詞
- ratpresent simple I / you / we / they
- rats3rd person singular
- ratting-ing form
- rattedpast simple
1. To secretly tell a person in authority, such as the police or a teacher, about s
出賣；告密
向當局舉報同夥的違法行為
To secretly tell a person in authority, such as the police or a teacher, about something wrong or illegal that a friend or group member has done.
Nicholas refused to rat on his classmates even though the principal demanded names.
Nicholas 拒絕出賣同學，即使校長逼他說出名字。
pattern: rat on + someone
Someone ratted Yael out to the manager about the missing inventory.
有人向經理告發 Yael，說出庫存短少的事。
pattern: rat + someone + out
Paloma was afraid that her brother would rat her out for sneaking out after midnight.
Paloma 擔心弟弟會告發她半夜偷溜出去。
The gang member who ratted on his partners received a new identity from the police.
那個出賣同夥的幫派分子被警方換了新身分。
- cover for
to protect someone by hiding their actions or mistakes
文法句型
rat on + someone
rat + someone + out
用法筆記
Almost always used with the particle 'on' (rat on someone) or 'out' (rat someone out). Without these particles, 'rat' as a verb is very rare and sounds dated. 'Rat someone out' is more common in American English; 'rat on someone' is common in both British and American English.
常見錯誤
2. To try to find and kill or capture rats, often using a trained dog or a mechanic
捕鼠
用狗或陷阱獵捕老鼠
To try to find and kill or capture rats, often using a trained dog or a mechanical trap, so that their population stays under control.
The farmer's terrier has been ratting in the barn since dawn.
農夫的梗犬從天亮起就在穀倉裡捕鼠。
present perfect continuous: has been ratting
Nellie trained her small dog to rat in the garden shed after dark.
Nellie 訓練她的小狗在入夜後到花園工具間抓老鼠。
Some people still use ferrets to rat in old warehouses and grain stores.
有些人仍用雪貂在老舊倉庫和穀物儲藏室裡捕鼠。
The old cat from next door used to rat in our backyard every night.
隔壁那隻老貓以前每晚都在我們後院抓老鼠。
- hunt rats
more literal and transparent; 'rat' used as a regular transitive verb
用法筆記
This sense is uncommon in modern everyday English. It appears mainly in rural contexts or discussions of traditional pest control with working dogs. The -ing form 'ratting' is more common than the base form.
3. To take the job of a worker who is on strike, or to bring in outside workers to
破壞罷工
在罷工期間代替罷工者工作
To take the job of a worker who is on strike, or to bring in outside workers to replace striking employees, so that the company can keep operating.
The factory hired temporary staff to rat during the month-long workers' strike.
那家工廠在長達一個月的罷工期間僱用臨時工代班。
domain: labor relations
Ramón refused to rat during the strike even though he needed the money badly.
Ramón 拒絕在工會發動罷工時上工，即使他很需要那筆錢。
Union members stood outside the gate, shouting at the drivers who were ratting.
工會成員站在大門外，對著當天早上上工代班的司機大聲叫罵。
The newspaper reported that several truckers had chosen to rat rather than lose their jobs.
報紙報導說，有幾名卡車司機選擇上工代班，而不願丟掉工作。
- scab
more common than 'rat' in this sense; also a highly offensive term in labor contexts
- cross the picket line
describes the action of working while other employees are on strike
用法筆記
Strongly negative within labor-union contexts. Calling someone a 'rat' in this sense implies they have betrayed their fellow workers for personal gain. This usage is almost entirely restricted to discussions of organized labor and strikes.