ratel

UK:**UK and possibly other pronunciationsUK and possibly other pronunciations/ˈreɪtəl/US:USA pronunciation: respellingUSA pronunciation: respelling(rāt′l, rät′l)


WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026
ra•tel  (rāt′l, rät′l),USA pronunciation n. 
  1. Mammalsa badgerlike carnivore, Mellivora capensis, of Africa and India. Also called honey badger. 
  • Dutch dialect, dialectal ratel, variant of raat honeycomb; perh. origin, originally a compound with this word, referring to the animal's fondness for honey
  • Afrikaans
  • 1770–80

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::
ratel /ˈreɪtəl/ n
  1. Also called: honey badger a musteline mammal, Mellivora capensis, inhabiting wooded regions of Africa and S Asia. It has a massive body, strong claws, and a thick coat that is paler on the back and it feeds on honey and small animals
  2. South African a six-wheeled armoured vehicle
Etymology: 18th Century: from Afrikaans
'ratel' also found in these entries (note: many are not synonyms or translations):
badger - honey badger

Forum discussions with the word(s) "ratel" in the title:


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