# Rat
## English
### Proper noun

Rat
* The first of the 12-year cycle of animals which appear in the Chinese zodiac related to the Chinese calendar.

### See also

* (Chinese zodiac signs) (year of the ~) Rat, Ox, Tiger, Rabbit, Dragon, Snake, Horse, Goat, Monkey, Rooster, Dog, Pig

### Anagrams

* Tar, TRA, ART, ATR, art, TAR, RTA, rta, Art, tra, tar, 'art, art.

## German
### Alternative forms

* Rath (obsolete)
* Raht (obsolete; in use from the 16th to the end of the 18th century, uncommon in the 19th century, officially proscribed since 1902)

### Etymology

From Middle High German rāt, from Old High German rāt, from Proto-West Germanic *rād, from Proto-Germanic *rēdaz.
Cognate with Dutch raad, English rede and read (n.)

### Pronunciation

* IPA: /ʁaːt/, [ʁaːtʰ]
* Audio:(file)
* Rhymes: -aːt
* Homophone: Rad (according to the standard pronunciation of that word)

### Noun

Rat m (strong, genitive Rates or Rats, plural Räte)
* advice, counsel
* council
* councilor, councillor
* (Germany) title of a Beamter ("Public servant") at the beginning of the senior service
* (Austria) title of a Beamter ("Public servant") in the senior service after first promotion

#### Usage notes

(4) The title is always preceded by a prefix. The common prefix for civil servants in the administration is Regierungs- ("in government administration"), in which case the full title is Regierungsrat. Teachers hold the title of a Studienrat (Educational councilor).
In terms of hierarchy, the Räte are comparable to a Major or a Korvettenkapitän (Lieutenant Commander).

#### Declension

$^1$Now rare, see notes.

#### Hyponyms

* Abteilungsrat
* Ältestenrat
* Amtsrat
* Aufsichtsrat
* Beirat
* Betriebsrat
* Bezirksrat
* Bundesrat
* Departementsrat
* Dorfrat
* Europarat
* Fakultätsrat
* Finanzrat
* Frauenrat
* Friedensrat
* Geheimrat
* Gemeinderat
* Gerichtsrat
* Hausrat
* Hofrat
* Hofrath
* Justizrat
* Kriegsrat
* Krisenrat
* Kronrat
* Länderrat
* Landgerichtsrat
* Landrat
* Lenkungsrat
* Militärrat
* Ministerrat
* Mitgliederrat
* Oberrat
* Ortsrat
* Personalrat
* Provinzrat
* Rechtsrat
* Reichsrat
* Revolutionsrat
* Sachverständigenrat
* Schulrat
* Staatsrat
* Stadtrat
* Ständerat
* Stiftungsrat
* Unternehmensrat
* Verwaltungsrat
* Weiberrat

#### Derived terms

* ratlos
* ratsam

#### Related terms

* Räterepublik
* Räteversammlung
* Ratgeber
* Rathaus
* Ratsabstimmung
* Ratsausschuss
* Ratsbeschluss
* Ratsfrau
* Ratsherr
* Ratskeller
* Ratsmehrheit
* Ratsmitglied
* Ratspräsident
* Ratstreffen
* Ratsversammlung
* Ratsvorsitz
* Ratsvorsitzender

### Further reading

* “Rat” in Digitales Wörterbuch der deutschen Sprache
* “Rat” in Uni Leipzig: Wortschatz-Lexikon
* “Rat” in Duden online
* Rat on the German Wikipedia.Wikipedia $^{de}$
* “Rat” in Deutsches Wörterbuch von Jacob und Wilhelm Grimm, 16 vols., Leipzig 1854–1961.
* Beamter on Wikipedia.Wikipedia
* Regierungsrat (Deutschland) on the German Wikipedia.Wikipedia $^{de}$
* Amtstitel on the German Wikipedia.Wikipedia $^{de}$

## Luxembourgish
### Etymology

From Middle High German ratte, from Old High German ratta, perhaps from Proto-West Germanic *ratt, from Proto-Germanic *rattaz, though the consonantism in High German is unexplained.
Cognate with German Ratte, Dutch rat, English rat, Icelandic rotta.

### Pronunciation

* IPA: /raːt/, [ʀaːt]
* Rhymes: -aːt
* Homophone: Rad

### Noun

Rat m or f (plural Raten)
* rat