Norway rat: Meaning and Definition of

Nor'way rat'

Pronunciation: [key]
  1. an Old World rat, Rattus norvegicus, having a grayish-brown body with whitish underparts and a long, scaly tail, now common in the U.S. in or near homes, barns, wharves, etc. See illus. underAlso called
Random House Unabridged Dictionary, Copyright © 1997, by Random House, Inc., on Infoplease.