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Definition of river rat in English:

river rat

noun

  • 1A rat or any of various other rodents living on or near rivers.

  • 2North American slang. A person engaging in criminal activities on a river; a river thief or river pirate. Now chiefly historical.

  • 3North American slang. A person who works lives or works on a river.

  • 4Specifically = river-driver. Compare river hog. Now rare.

Origin

Early 18th century; earliest use found in Aaron Hill (1685–1750), writer and entrepreneur. From river + rat.

Pronunciation

river rat

/ˈrɪvə rat/