wharf rat

• Veralteter umgangssprachlicher Ausdruck für eine Person, die sich an Hafenanlagen oder Kaianlagen herumtreibt, oft mit der Bedeutung eines Obdachlosen, Kleinkriminellen oder Landstreichers, der in Wassernähe lebt.

An old slang term for a person who loiters around docks or wharves, often implying someone who is homeless, a petty thief, or a vagrant living near the waterfront.

1. A person who frequents docksC1informalamerican

   A person who spends a lot of time around wharves or docks, often involved in petty crime or casual labor.

   Hafenratte

   • The old wharf rat knew every corner of the harbor.
   • He was a wharf rat, always looking for odd jobs by the docks.
   • The police arrested a few wharf rats for stealing cargo.

2. A type of ratB2formal

   A common name for the brown rat (Rattus norvegicus) that lives near wharves and ships.

   Hafenratte

   • Wharf rats are known to carry diseases.
   • The ship's crew had to deal with a wharf rat infestation.
   • A wharf rat scurried along the pier.