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Skunk vs Rat - What's the difference?

skunk | rat |

As a noun skunk

is skunk (animal).

As an adjective rat is

.

skunk

English

(wikipedia skunk)

Etymology 1

At first spelt squunck, from the (etyl) name for the animal, .

Noun

(en noun)
  • Any of various small mammals, of the family Mephitidae, native to North and Central America, having a glossy black with a white coat and two musk glands at the base of the tail for emitting a noxious smell as a defensive measure.
  • (slang) A despicable person.
  • (slang) A walkover victory in sports or board games, as when the opposing side is unable to score. Compare shutout.
  • (cribbage) A win by 30 or more points.
    • Derived terms
    * drunk as a skunk * skunky

    Verb

    (en verb)
  • To defeat so badly as to prevent any opposing points.
    • I skunked him at cards.
    We fished all day but the lake skunked us.
  • (cribbage) To win by 30 or more points.
  • to go bad, to spoil

    • See also

    * Mephitidae * Mephitis * * * polecat

    Etymology 2

    , influenced by the animal (Etymology 1).

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • A member of a hybrid skinhead and punk subculture.
  • * 2006 , Pam Nilan, Carles Feixa, Global Youth?: Hybrid Identities, Plural Worlds (page 192)
    • In the early 1980s, certain ex-punks joined them, becoming 'skunks' – a hybrid subculture of skinheads and punks.
  • * 2011 , Gerard DeGroot (quoting Brown), Seventies Unplugged

    • Etymology 3

    From

    Noun

  • (slang) (marijuana).
  • Any of the strains of hybrids of Cannabis sativa'' and ''Cannabis indica that may have THC levels exceeding those of typical hashish.
    • ----

    rat

    English

    (wikipedia rat)

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • (zoology) A medium-sized rodent belonging to the genus Rattus .
  • * {{quote-magazine, year=2013, month=May-June, author= Charles T. Ambrose
    • , title= Alzheimer’s Disease , volume=101, issue=3, page=200, magazine=(American Scientist) , passage=Similar studies of rats have employed four different intracranial resorbable, slow sustained release systems—surgical foam, a thermal gel depot, a microcapsule or biodegradable polymer beads.}}
  • (informal) A term indiscriminately applied to numerous members of several rodent families (e.g. voles and mice) having bodies longer than about 12 cm, or 5 inches.
  • (informal) A person who is known for betrayal; a scoundrel; a quisling.
  • * 1883 , (Robert Louis Stevenson), (Treasure Island)
    • He’s more a man than any pair of rats of you in this here house.
  • (informal) An informant or snitch.
  • (slang) A person who routinely spends time at a particular location.
  • Scab.
  • Vagina.
  • A wad of shed hair used as part of a hairstyle.
    • Synonyms
    * (person known for betrayal) traitor (see for more synonyms ) * (informer) stool pigeon
    Derived terms
    * black rat * brown rat * desert rat * give a rat's ass * * like rats from a sinking ship * love rat * mall rat * ratface * ratfink * ratter * rat race * rattail * ratty * rat's nest * rat-trap * ring rat * smell a rat * gym rat
    See also
    * mouse * rodent

    Verb

    (ratt)
  • To betray someone and tell their secret to an authority or an enemy; to turn someone in, bewray.
    • He ratted on his coworker.
    He is going to rat us out!
  • To kill rats.
    • Synonyms
    * (to betray someone to an authority) tell on, to finger or "put the finger on", bewray

    Anagrams

    * ----