▪ I. drat, int.
(dræt)
Also U.S. drot.
[Aphetic f. 'od rot, for God rot!: see rot v. in similar use.]
A vulgar form of imprecation, giving vent to annoyance or angry vexation; = ‘Hang’, ‘dash’, ‘confound’.
1815 Sporting Mag. XLVI. 13 ‘Now drat that Betty’, says one of the washer-women. 1857 Trollope Barchester T. xxxix, ‘Drat their impudence’, said Mrs. Greenacre. 1859 Thackeray Virgin. xliv, ‘Drat it, Jane, kneel down, and bless the gentleman, I tell 'ee!’ |
β 1834 W. G. Simms Guy Rivers II. 100 Drot the man..who hasn't the courage to get in a passion. 1846 J. J. Hooper Adv. Simon Suggs ii. 20 Drot it! what do boys have daddies for, any how? 1884 ‘Mark Twain’ Huck. Finn xix. 184 Drot your pore broken heart. |
Hence drat v.; ˈdratted ppl. a. ‘confounded’.
1857 Trollope Barchester T. (1861) 326 The quintain was ‘dratted’ and ‘bothered’ and very generally anathematized by all the mothers. 1869 Mrs. H. Wood Roland Yorke v. (Farmer), If that dratted girl had been at her post. 1878 M. & F. Collins Vill. Comedy I. 195 The ladies are ‘dratting’ me, if you know what that means. |
▪ II. drat
obs. 3rd sing. pres. of dread v.