ratten

Definition
  1. Verb (transitive):
    • To sabotage tools or machinery: "ratten" means to deliberately damage or destroy tools, equipment, or machinery, typically as a form of industrial protest or to prevent workers from entering a workplace during a strike.
    • To obstruct or hinder: In a broader sense, "ratten" can refer to any act of obstruction or interference, especially in the context of labor disputes.
Usage Examples
  • Verb:
    • The striking workers decided to ratten the factory's machines to prevent scabs from operating them. (They sabotaged the machinery to stop replacement workers.)
    • During the labor dispute, the union was accused of rattening the tools of non-striking employees. (Deliberately damaging equipment to hinder work.)
Advanced Usage

  • "to ratten a workplace": to systematically sabotage or disrupt operations in a specific location.

    • The foreman discovered that someone had rattened the entire workshop overnight. (All tools and machinery were deliberately damaged.)

  • "rattening as a tactic": the use of sabotage as a strategic method in labor conflicts.

    • Rattening was a common tactic in 19th-century industrial disputes. (Sabotage was frequently employed by workers.)
Variants and Related Words
  • Rattening (n): the act or practice of sabotaging tools or machinery.
    • The court ruled that rattening was an illegal form of protest. (The act of damaging equipment.)
Synonyms
  • Sabotage: to deliberately damage or destroy property, especially in a workplace.
  • Vandalize: to willfully destroy or deface property.
  • Disable: to render equipment or machinery inoperable.
Phrasal Verbs
  • Ratten out: (rare) to expose or undermine through sabotage.
    • The workers threatened to ratten out the new equipment if their demands were not met. (To sabotage as a threat.)
Related Idioms

  • To pull the plug: to stop or disable something, often abruptly.

    • The union decided to pull the plug on production by rattening the assembly line. (To halt operations through sabotage.)

  • To throw a wrench in the works: to cause a disruption or obstacle.

    • The strike committee planned to throw a wrench in the works by rattening the power supply. (To create deliberate interference.)