| rationalization |
the act or process of accounting for one's behavior, events, or the like, with seemingly reasonable and logical explanations which are actually self-serving attempts to excuse or justify. |
| rationalize |
to account for (one's behavior, events, or the like) with apparently reasonable, but self-serving, explanations. [3 definitions] |
| ratite |
of birds, having a flat, ridgeless breastbone. [2 definitions] |
| rat kangaroo |
any of various small ratlike kangaroos that are about the size of a rabbit. |
| ratline |
any of the pieces of rope tied horizontally between a ship's shrouds like rungs on a ladder, which permit climbing. |
| rat mite |
a widespread mite carried by rats that can transmit typhus to humans or cause inflammation of the skin by its bite. |
| rat race |
(informal) an exhausting, competitive struggle or routine. |
| ratsbane |
a poison for rats, esp. arsenic trioxide. |
| rat snake |
any of several nonpoisonous snakes of North America and Eurasia that eat rodents and other small mammals. |
| rattail |
slim and tapering like a rat's tail. |
| rat-tail |
any of several deep-sea fishes with a large head and a long, tapering tail; grenadier. |
| rattail cactus |
a small, tropical cactus of Mexico and Central America having thin, drooping stems and bearing bright crimson flowers, widely cultivated as a houseplant. |
| rattan |
a climbing palm plant with long, tough, pliable stems. [2 definitions] |
| ratter |
an animal, such as a cat or terrier, that is skilled at catching rats. |
| rattle |
to make a series of hard, short, knocking sounds. [9 definitions] |
| rattlebox |
a plant related to the pea, bearing seeds that rattle in their pods when ripe. |
| rattlebrain |
a silly, frivolous, overly talkative person. |
| rattle off |
to list or recite quickly, esp. from memory. |
| rattler |
a rattlesnake. [2 definitions] |
| rattlesnake |
a venomous pit viper of the Americas that has a segmented structure at the end of its tail which vibrates with a rattling sound. |
| rattlesnake plantain |
any of several ground orchids with mottled leaves, found in northern climates. |