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pack-rat (n.)
common name for the North American bushytailed woodrat (Neotoma cinerea) 1885, from pack (v.); so called from the rodents' habit of dragging objects off to their holes. Used figuratively or allusively from c. 1850 of persons who won't discard anything, which means either the rat's name is older than the record or the human sense is the original one.
updated on October 10, 2017
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Dictionary entries near pack-rat
packaging
packer
packet
pack-horse
packing
pack-rat
packsaddle
packstaff
pact
pad
padding