pack rat

n.1. Any of various small rodents of the genus Neotoma of North and Central America that collect in or around their nests a great variety of small objects. Also called trade rat, woodrat.2. Western US A petty thief.3. Informal A collector or accumulator of miscellaneous objects.

pack rat

n (Animals) any rat of the genus Neotoma, of W North America, having a long tail that is furry in some species: family Cricetidae. Also called: woodrat

pack′ rat`

n. 1. any North and Central American rat of the genus Neotoma, noted for carrying off shiny articles to its nest. 2. Informal. a person who collects, saves, or hoards useless small items.

Thesaurus

Noun	1.	pack rat - someone who collects things that have been discarded by othersmagpie, scavengerhoarder - a person who accumulates things and hides them away for future use
	2.	pack rat - any of several bushy-tailed rodents of the genus Neotoma of western North America; hoards food and other objectsbushytail woodrat, Neotoma cinerea, trade rat, packratwood rat, wood-rat - any of various small short-tailed rodents of the northern hemisphere having soft fur grey above and white below with furred tails and large ears; some are hosts for Ixodes pacificus and Ixodes scapularis (Lyme disease ticks)genus Neotoma, Neotoma - packratsdusky-footed woodrat, Neotoma fuscipes - host to Lyme disease tick (Ixodes pacificus) in northern California

pack rat

pack rat,

rodentrodent,
member of the mammalian order Rodentia, characterized by front teeth adapted for gnawing and cheek teeth adapted for chewing. The Rodentia is by far the largest mammalian order; nearly half of all mammal species are rodents.
..... Click the link for more information. of the genus Neotoma, of North and Central America, noted for its habit of collecting bright, shiny objects and leaving other objects, such as nuts or pebbles, in their place; also called trade rat or wood rat. Most common in the southern and western parts of the United States, but found as far south as Nicaragua, the pack rat stores the objects it collects to decorate its nest. The rodent may reach a length of 18 in. (45.7 cm) including tail, has soft brown fur, and resembles a squirrel with large ears. It eats nuts, berries, seeds, twigs, and roots. Its nest is a large stick structure built in a sheltered area. The desert species adorns its nest with bits of cactus, turning it into an impenetrable fortress. A litter is born after a gestation period of 33 to 39 days and contains from two to six young. Pack rats are classified in the phylum ChordataChordata
, phylum of animals having a notochord, or dorsal stiffening rod, as the chief internal skeletal support at some stage of their development. Most chordates are vertebrates (animals with backbones), but the phylum also includes some small marine invertebrate animals.
..... Click the link for more information. , subphylum Vertebrata, class Mammalia, order Rodentia, family Cricetidae.

pack rat

A person who hoards objects of little worth—e.g., string, old newspapers, etc.—or sentimental value. The pack rat mentality is typical of obsessive-compulsive disorder

pack rat

Psychiatry A person who hoards objects of little worth–eg, string, old newspapers, etc–and lacking sentimental value; the PR mentality is typical of OCD. Cf Obsessive-compulsive disorder.

pack rat

noun

Synonyms for pack rat

noun someone who collects things that have been discarded by others

Synonyms

magpie
scavenger

Related Words

hoarder

noun any of several bushy-tailed rodents of the genus Neotoma of western North America

Synonyms

bushytail woodrat
Neotoma cinerea
trade rat
packrat

Related Words

wood rat
wood-rat
genus Neotoma
Neotoma
dusky-footed woodrat
Neotoma fuscipes