Definition of "water rat" []

• Any of various semiaquatic rodents, especially Neofiber alleni, of Florida and southern Georgia, closely related to and resembling the muskrat. (noun)
• See muskrat. (noun)
• Slang A petty thief or ruffian who frequents waterfronts. (noun)

American Heritage(R) Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright (c) 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.