rat-poison
Definition
Noun: A toxic substance specifically formulated to kill rats or other rodents.
Usage Examples
- (A chemical bait used to kill rats.)
- (A hazardous substance for rodent control.)
Advanced Usage
- "to be as deadly as rat-poison": an informal simile meaning extremely toxic or dangerous.
- That industrial waste is as deadly as rat-poison to the local ecosystem. (It causes fatal harm.)
Variants and Related Words
- Rat poison (n, alternative spelling): the same substance.
- The hardware store sells rat poison in pellet form. (A rodenticide product.)
- Poison (n): any substance that causes illness or death when ingested.
- Arsenic is a well-known poison. (A toxic chemical.)
Synonyms
- Rodenticide: a chemical agent used to kill rodents.
- Pesticide: a broader term for substances that kill pests, including rats.
Related Idioms
- To take the rat-poison willingly: an idiomatic expression meaning to knowingly accept a harmful situation.
- He knew the contract was bad, but he took the rat-poison willingly for the money. (He accepted a destructive deal.)
Phrasal Verbs
- Poison out: to eliminate pests using poison.
- They poisoned out the rats from the basement. (They used rat-poison to remove the rodents.)