Lexic.us

Definition of Ratel

1. Noun. Nocturnal badger-like carnivore of wooded regions of Africa and southern Asia.

Definition of Ratel

1. n. Any carnivore of the genus Mellivora, allied to the weasels and the skunks; -- called also honey badger.

Definition of Ratel

1. Noun. A carnivorous mammal, ''Mellivora capensis'', found in Africa and some parts of Asia; the honey badger ¹

¹ Source: wiktionary.com

Definition of Ratel

1. a carnivorous mammal [n -S]

Medical Definition of Ratel

1. Any carnivore of the genus Mellivora, allied to the weasels and the skunks. Synonym: honey badger. Several species are known in Africa and India. The Cape ratel (M. Capensis) and the Indian ratel (M. Indica) are the best known. The back is gray; the lower parts, face, and tail are black. They are fond of honey, and rob the nests of wild bees. Origin: F. Source: Websters Dictionary (01 Mar 1998)

Lexicographical Neighbors of Ratel

Literary usage of Ratel

Below you will find example usage of this term as found in modern and/or classical literature:

1. A Geographical History of Mammals by Richard Lydekker (1896)
"The single Oriental species of ratel (Mellivora) is restricted to India, ... INDIAN ratel (Mellivora ratel), migrated into Africa while there was a free ..."

2. The Naturalist's Library edited by William Jardine (1840)
"... while enumerating the enemies of Exotic Bees, the ratel and the European Bee-Eater, represented in Plates XXIX and XXX. ..."

3. Fur-bearing Animals in Nature and in Commerce by Henry Poland (1892)
"ratel. Mellivora indica. The ratel is one of the few animals in which the belly is darker than the ... The ratel climbs trees with facility. CAPE ratel. ..."

4. List of the Osteological Specimens in the Collection of the British Museum by John Edward Gray, George Robert Gray (1847)
"The ratel or ... ratel. Skull, adult. Nepal. Presented by BH Hodgson, Esq. Skull, adult. Nepal. Presented by BH Hodgson, Esq. GULO, Starr. ..."

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