Definition

A type of poison used to kill rats, often made with arsenic trioxide.

Example

The farmer used ratsbane to control the rodent population in his barn.

Conversation

Did you hear about the new pest control method they’re using?

No, what is it?

They’re calling it ratsbane, and it’s supposed to be really effective.

Wow, I hope it works better than the last stuff they tried!

Synonyms & Antonyms

Root Explanation

Ratsbane is formed from "rats" (from Old English "ræt", meaning rat) and "bane" (from Old English "bana", meaning killer or destroyer). The word refers to a substance that kills rats, hence a rat poison.

Memory Tip

Think of 'rats' as the animals being targeted and 'bane' as something that kills. This helps you remember that ratsbane is a poison specifically for killing rats.

Visually Confused Words