ˈməˌskrat, usu -ad.+V noun
( plural muskrat or muskrats )
Etymology: probably by folk etymology from a word of Algonquian origin — more at musquash
1.
a. or muskrat beaver : an abundant aquatic rodent ( Ondatra zibethica syn. Fiber zibethica ) found throughout the United States and Canada living in holes in the banks of ponds or streams or in dome-shaped houses of rushes and mud, being as large as a small cat with the tail long, scaly, and laterally compressed, the hind feet webbed, the fur dark glossy brown, and having small glands that emit a musky odor — called also musquash
b. : the fur or pelt of the muskrat
2. : any of various other musky-smelling or musk-producing animals (as the musk kangaroo, hutia, So. African genet, or musk shrew)