pack rat

Keeper of everything

A pack rat is a rodent native to North America known for collecting objects and storing them in its nest.

The term applies more often to people who compulsively accumulate and save things, especially items of little value: My grandmother was a pack rat—she kept every newspaper from 1960 on.

The tendency suggests an inability to discard possessions rather than deliberate collecting.

hoarder

accumulator

Device storing incremental charge

collectorOne who gathers items
gathererOne who collects things
amasserOne who accumulates

stockpiler · saver · magpie · squirrel · compulsive · obsessive · clutterer · treasure-hunter · sentimentalist · nostalgic

clutter

junk

Worthless discarded items

messDisorderly, troublesome condition
disarrayLack of order
pileupSequential vehicular collision

overflow · heap · chaos · possessions · stuff · knickknacks · tchotchkes · bric-a-brac · memorabilia · keepsakes

rodent

woodrat

Collecting rodent species

middenHistorical domestic refuse pile
nestAnimal-built shelter for young
burrowAnimal's dug dwelling

nocturnal · desert · southwestern · gnaw · forage · wildlife · critter · vermin · pest

storage

boxes

Six-sided containers

binsReceptacles for storage
closetBuilt-in storage chamber
garageEnclosed vehicle storage structure

attic · basement · shelves · containers · drawers · cubbyhole · trunk · locker · shed · organizer

pack rat

accumulator

junk

woodrat

boxes

pack rat

Opposites

Categories

Family