RATTLE

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

IPA (US):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does rattle mean? 

• RATTLE (noun)
  The noun RATTLE has 3 senses:

1. a rapid series of short loud sounds (as might be heard with a stethoscope in some types of respiratory disorders)

2. a baby's toy that makes percussive noises when shaken

3. loosely connected horny sections at the end of a rattlesnake's tail

  Familiarity information: RATTLE used as a noun is uncommon.

• RATTLE (verb)
  The verb RATTLE has 2 senses:

1. make short successive sounds

2. shake and cause to make a rattling noise

  Familiarity information: RATTLE used as a verb is rare.

 Dictionary entry details 

• RATTLE (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

A rapid series of short loud sounds (as might be heard with a stethoscope in some types of respiratory disorders)

Classified under:

Nouns denoting natural events

Synonyms:

rale; rattle; rattling

Context example:

the death rattle

Hypernyms ("rattle" is a kind of...):

noise (sound of any kind (especially unintelligible or dissonant sound))

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "rattle"):

crepitation rale (the crackling sound heard on auscultation when patients with respiratory diseases inhale; associated with tuberculosis and pneumonia and congestive heart failure)

Derivation:

rattle (make short successive sounds)

Sense 2

Meaning:

A baby's toy that makes percussive noises when shaken

Classified under:

Nouns denoting man-made objects

Hypernyms ("rattle" is a kind of...):

plaything; toy (an artifact designed to be played with)

Derivation:

rattle (shake and cause to make a rattling noise)

Sense 3

Meaning:

Loosely connected horny sections at the end of a rattlesnake's tail

Classified under:

Nouns denoting animals

Hypernyms ("rattle" is a kind of...):

tail (the posterior part of the body of a vertebrate especially when elongated and extending beyond the trunk or main part of the body)

Holonyms ("rattle" is a part of...):

rattler; rattlesnake (pit viper with horny segments at the end of the tail that rattle when shaken)

• RATTLE (verb)

Present simple: I / you / we / they rattle    ... he / she / it rattles   
Past simple: rattled   
Past participle: rattled   
-ing form: rattling   

Sense 1

Meaning:

Make short successive sounds

Classified under:

Verbs of seeing, hearing, feeling

Hypernyms (to "rattle" is one way to...):

go; sound (make a certain noise or sound)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "rattle"):

ruckle (make a hoarse, rattling sound)

crackle; crepitate (make a crackling sound)

Sentence frames:

Something ----s
Something is ----ing PP

Sentence examples:

Cars rattle in the streets
The streets rattle with cars

Also:

rattle down; rattle off (recite volubly or extravagantly)

rattle on (talk incessantly and tiresomely)

Derivation:

rattle; rattling (a rapid series of short loud sounds (as might be heard with a stethoscope in some types of respiratory disorders))

Sense 2

Meaning:

Shake and cause to make a rattling noise

Classified under:

Verbs of walking, flying, swimming

Hypernyms (to "rattle" is one way to...):

agitate; shake (move or cause to move back and forth)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s something
Something ----s something

Derivation:

rattle (a baby's toy that makes percussive noises when shaken)

rattler (pit viper with horny segments at the end of the tail that rattle when shaken)

rattling (a rapid series of short loud sounds (as might be heard with a stethoscope in some types of respiratory disorders))

 Context examples 

“Clew up the topsails first. Set men at all the sheets. Let there be no rattling of blocks, no sound of voices. No noise, understand, no noise.”

(The Sea-Wolf, by Jack London)

My wants were few and simple, so that in less than the time stated I was in a cab with my valise, rattling away to Paddington Station.

(The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

There is a rattle, which shows that one of them is very young.

(The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

Several times during the night he sprang to his feet when the shed door rattled open, expecting to see the Judge, or the boys at least.

(The Call of the Wild, by Jack London)

With the bag slung over her arm, and rattling as she waddled away, she waddled to the door, where she stopped to inquire if she should leave us a lock of her hair.

(David Copperfield, by Charles Dickens)

"Besides, you guessed the first rattle. It's Bill, all right, all right."

(Martin Eden, by Jack London)

When a man’s conscience is easy you can’t rattle him.

(His Last Bow, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

I have seen old John Hawkwood, the same who has led half the Company into Italy, stand laughing in his beard as he heard it, until his plates rattled again.

(The White Company, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

“You must be more careful, nephew,” said my uncle, as we rattled home in his model vis-à-vis.

(Rodney Stone, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

I could hear his teeth rattle in his head, but he had not yet surrendered.

(Treasure Island, by Robert Louis Stevenson)