Muskrat

3 definitions found

From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:

  Muskrat \Musk"rat`\, n.
     1. (Zool.) A North American aquatic fur-bearing rodent
        ({Ondatra zibethica} formerly {Fiber zibethicus}). It
        resembles a rat in color and having a long scaly tail, but
        the tail is compressed, the hind feet are webbed, and the
        ears are concealed in the fur. It has scent glands which


        secrete a substance having a strong odor of musk. Called
        also {musquash}, {musk beaver}, {ondatra}, and sometimes
        {water rat}.
        [1913 Webster +PJC]
  
     2. (Zool.) The musk shrew.
        [1913 Webster]
  
     3. (Zool.) The desman.
        [1913 Webster]

From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:

  Desman \Des"man\ (d[e^]s"man), n. [Cf. Sw. desman musk.] (Zool.)
     An amphibious, insectivorous mammal found in Russia ({Myogale
     moschata}). It is allied to the moles, but is called
     {muskrat} by some English writers. [Written also
     {d[ae]sman}.] Desmid

From WordNet (r) 2.0 [wn]:

  muskrat
       n 1: the brown fur of a muskrat
       2: beaver-like aquatic rodent of North America with dark glossy
          brown fur [syn: {musquash}, {Ondatra zibethica}]