desert rat

desert rat
1. any of various small rodents, as the kangaroo rat, inhabiting arid regions.
2. Chiefly Western U.S. one who lives in the desert, esp. in order to prospect for gold or other valuable minerals.
3. Informal. a soldier fighting in the N African desert in World War II, esp. a British soldier.
[1905-10, Amer.]

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Universalium. 2010.

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  • Desert rat — or desert rat or its plural may refer to: The Desert Rats, nickname for the British 7th Armoured Division The Desert Rats, 1953 war film starring Richard Burton Desert rat, old name for the Sumal Desert rat, old common name for the gerbil group… …   Wikipedia

  • desert rat — noun any of various leaping rodents of desert regions of North America and Mexico; largest members of the family Heteromyidae • Syn: ↑kangaroo rat, ↑Dipodomys phillipsii • Hypernyms: ↑pocket rat • Hyponyms: ↑Ord kangaroo rat, ↑ …   Useful english dictionary

  • Desert Rat Scrap Book — The Desert Rat Scrap Book (or DRSB) was a (roughly) quarterly, southwestern humor publication based in Thousand Palms, California. DRSB was published in editions of 10,000 to 20,000 copies, whenever its creator, Harry Oliver had sufficient… …   Wikipedia

  • Desert Rat-kangaroo — Conservation status Extinct (IUCN 3.1) …   Wikipedia

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  • desert rat kangaroos — plikakrūtės kengūros statusas T sritis zoologija | vardynas taksono rangas gentis apibrėžtis Gentyje 1 rūšis. Paplitimo arealas – P. V. Australija. atitikmenys: lot. Caloprymnus angl. desert rat kangaroos; plain rat kangaroos vok.… …   Žinduolių pavadinimų žodynas

  • desert rat — /dɛzət ˈræt/ (say dezuht rat) noun 1. → jerboa. 2. Military Colloquial a member of the various Allied forces who fought in the desert campaigns in North Africa, 1941–42, especially one who assisted in the defence of Tobruk. {def. 2 named after… …  

  • desert rat — noun a) A jerboa, including species such as Jaculus orientalis and the Lesser Egyptian Jerboa Jaculus jaculus, which inhabit the desert regions of North Africa. b) A British or Australian soldier who served in North Africa with the British 7th… …   Wiktionary

  • desert rat — noun informal a soldier of the 7th British armoured division (with the jerboa as a badge) in the North African desert campaign of 1941–2 …   English new terms dictionary

  • desert rat-kangaroo — /dɛzət ˈræt kæŋgəˌru/ (say dezuht rat kangguh.rooh) noun a small marsupial, Caloprymnus campestris, of the western plains region of Queensland, now probably extinct …  

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