ratton Now Sc. and north. dial.
(ˈræt(ə)n)
Forms: 4–5 ratoun, 5 ratone, -un, 4–6 (9) raton; 6 Sc. ratto(u)ne, 7 rattin, 6 Sc., 7– ratton, 8– ratten, 8–9 rattan.
[a. OF. raton, f. rat rat n.1 Cf. Sp. raton, med.L. rato, ratōnis.]
A rat.
| 1300–20 in Rel. Ant. II. 78 Wessele, reheite. ratonz, raz. molde warpes, taupaines. 1377 Langl. P. Pl. B. Prol. 146 Wiþ þat ran þere a route of ratones..And smale mys with hem. c 1400 Mandeville (Roxb.) xiv. 64 Þai ete cattes and hundes, ratouns and myesse. 1486 Bk. St. Albans C j b, The fleshe of a kydde..and especiall Ratonys flesh. 1552 Lyndesay Monarche 3985 Necessitie gart thame eit perforsse Dog, Catt and Rattone. 1601 Holland Pliny viii. xxxvi. 216 At the first, they [bear-whelps] seeme to be a lumpe of white flesh without all forme, little bigger than rattons. 1617 R. Brathwait Law of Drinking 32 When I'm drunke as any Rattin, Then I rap out nought but Lattin. 1785 Burns Vision i. iii, I..heard the restless rattons squeak About the riggin. 1849 C. Brontë Shirley iii. 67 As much better..as a bull's bellow than a ratton's squeak. 1894 Crockett Raiders 59 A ratton's bite's poisonous. |
| fig. 1387 Trevisa Higden (Rolls) V. 119 Spadones..he clepede..ratouns of þe paleys. a 1585 Montgomerie Flyting w. Polwart 288 Reavens rugand at that ratton [a child]. 1661 Sir A. Haslerig's Last Will Suppl. 6 The inraged Tygre no sooner furrowed his Front, then this feverish Ratoun let fall his Crest. |
b. attrib., as
ratton bane,
ratton fell,
ratton man,
ratton poison;
ratton-bread, a poisoned paste for killing rats.
| 1544 T. Phaer Pestilence (1553) K vij, *Ratten bane, or other suche lyke kyndes of venymes. |
| 1396 Whitby Abbey Rolls (Whitby Gl.), For Sperstane and *Ratonbrede, 1s 6d. 1876 Whitby Gloss., Ratton-breead. |
| c 1400 Turnam. Tottenham 150 in Hazl. E.P.P. III. 89 Theire baner was ful bryȝt Off an olde *raton fell. |
| 1481–90 Howard Househ. Bks. (Roxb.) 51 The xx. day of April, I..toke the *raten man iij. s. iiij. d. |
| 1590 in Pitcairn Crim. Trials (Bann.) I. iii. 195 To pas to Elgyne for bying *rattoun poysoune. |