Definition

1. Noun:
   • A dog bred or trained to catch rats: A ratter is specifically a type of dog, often a terrier breed, whose purpose is to hunt and kill rats.
   • A disloyal person who betrays a group or cause: Informally, a ratter is a person who deserts or informs on their associates, akin to a traitor or informant.

Usage Examples

• Noun (Dog):
  • The farmer kept a Jack Russell terrier as an excellent ratter in the barn.
  • This breed was historically valued as a ratter on ships.
• Noun (Person):
  • After the scandal, he was branded a ratter by his former colleagues.
  • The informant was seen as a ratter who betrayed the organization's secrets.

Advanced Usage

• "To turn ratter": To become an informant or betrayer.
  • Facing pressure from the police, one member of the gang turned ratter.

Variants and Related Words

• Rat (verb): To desert or betray someone; to inform on someone.
  • He ratted on his partners to get a lighter sentence.
• Rat-catcher (noun): A person or animal whose job is to catch rats. (Note: This is a related compound term, not a variant of "ratter" itself).

Synonyms

• For the dog: Rat-catcher, terrier (in context).
• For the person: Informant, betrayer, traitor, deserter, snitch (informal).

Related Phrases

• "Like a ratter": With the keenness or determination of a rat-hunting dog.
  • He went through the old files like a ratter, searching for the evidence.

Idioms

• No direct idioms are formed solely with the word "ratter." However, the related verb "rat" is used in idioms like "to smell a rat" (to suspect trickery) or "rat race" (a fiercely competitive struggle).

Noun

1. any of several breeds of terrier developed to catch rats
2. a disloyal person who betrays or deserts his cause or religion or political party or friend etc.