cotton rat

noun

: any of a genus (Sigmodon) of small-eared, omnivorous rats that are found chiefly in grassy habitats from the U.S. and Mexico to Brazil, are sometimes destructive to crops (such as cotton, alfalfa, and corn), and have S-shaped molars see hispid cotton rat

Word History

First Known Use

1835, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of cotton rat was in 1835

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Dictionary Entries Near cotton rat

cotton press

cotton rat

cotton rock

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Cite this Entry

“Cotton rat.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cotton%20rat. Accessed 26 Nov. 2024.

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