Dictionary of American idioms. 2013.
pack-rat — (n.) common name for the North American bushytailed woodrat (Neotoma cinerea) is attested from 1885, from PACK (Cf. pack) (v.), from the rodent s habit of dragging objects off to their holes. Used figuratively or allusively of persons who won t… … Etymology dictionary
pack-rat — packˈ rat noun A kind of long tailed rat, native to the western part of N America • • • Main Entry: ↑pack … Useful english dictionary
pack rat — pack′ rat n. 1) mam any North and Central American rat of the genus Neotoma, noted for carrying off shiny articles to its nest 2) inf Informal. a person who collects, saves, or hoards useless small items … From formal English to slang
pack rat — n AmE informal someone who collects and stores things that they do not really need … Dictionary of contemporary English
pack rat — pack ,rat noun count 1. ) AMERICAN INFORMAL someone who keeps or collects a lot of different things, even when they are not useful or valuable 2. ) a small North American animal similar to a mouse that collects small objects … Usage of the words and phrases in modern English
pack rat — ☆ pack rat n. 1. any of a genus (Neotoma) of North American rats that often carry off and hide small articles in their nests 2. Informal a person who habitually saves unneeded, miscellaneous items … English World dictionary
Pack rat — This article is about the rodent. For other uses, see Pack rat (disambiguation). Packrats Temporal range: Late Cenozoic Recent Neotoma cinerea … Wikipedia
pack rat — packrat packrat, pack rat pack rat . 1. Any of several bushy tailed rodents of the genus {Neotoma} of western North America, especially {Neotoma cinerea}, which hoard food and other objects in their nests. Syn: trade rat, bushytail woodrat,… … The Collaborative International Dictionary of English
pack rat — UK / US noun [countable] Word forms pack rat : singular pack rat plural pack rats 1) American informal someone who keeps or collects a lot of different things, even when they are not useful or valuable 2) a small North American animal similar to… … English dictionary
pack rat — {n.}, {informal} A person who cannot part with old, useless objects; an avid collector of useless things; a junk hoarder. * / Why are there so many things in this room? John asked. It is my brother s room, and he is a pack rat; he is unable to… … Dictionary of American idioms
