(historical, slang) A wandering prospector.
(historical, slang) A wandering prospector.
“The sun coming over the ridge and lighting up the valley. Honestly I'm more of a Beach Bum than a Desert Rat, but there is a great rugged beauty.”
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Aussie and Kiwi vocabulary — bogan, daggy, brekkie, sheila, bach, jandals — the whole Antipodean lexicon, including outback dialect, surf and beach culture, and Sydney/Melbourne street slang.
See all Australian & NZ slang slang on Slangora.
Browse all slang words starting with D.
(US, slang) A prospector.
Hill rat is an old American slang term for a prospector — someone scrambling through rugged backcountry terrain hunting for gold, silver, or other minerals. It paints a picture of a scrappy, weather-beaten figure digging around hillsides with more stubbornness than luck. The term has an affectionate, rough-around-the-edges feel, capturing the wild-west spirit of heading into the mountains on nothing but hope and a pickaxe. Rarely used today outside of historical or Western contexts.
(slang) A despicable person.
One of various mouselike rodents species inhabiting deserts.
Desert rat means: One of various mouselike rodents species inhabiting deserts.. There is no real cause for parental concern; it is descriptive vocabulary rather than risky behaviour. If your teen uses it, context will usually make the intent clear. A short, curious question about where they heard it is usually all that is needed to know whether to follow up.
desert rat means: One of various mouselike rodents species inhabiting deserts.. Register: neutral, standard English. A common learner mistake is using the word in a register it does not fit, or assuming a single global meaning; native speakers immediately notice when slang appears in formal contexts, so always check the surrounding register before producing it yourself. A formal-English equivalent (a synonym or descriptive phrase) is usually safer in writing. When in doubt, paraphrase rather than reuse the slang form.
(historical, slang) A British or Australian soldier who served in North Africa with the British 7th Armoured Division in 1941-42.