| 释义 |
rat·tle
I. \ˈrad.əl, -atəl\ verb
(rattled ; rattled ; rattling \-d.əliŋ, -t(ə)l-\ ; rattles)
Etymology: Middle English ratelen; akin to Old English hratele, a plant, Middle Dutch ratelen to rattle, ratele, ratel rattle, Middle High German razzeln, razzen to rage, rattle, Old Norse hrata to fall, stagger — more at cardinal
intransitive verb
1. : to make, cause, or emit a rapid succession of short sharp noises or of similarly discontinuous sounds (as through shaking or recurrent collisions of hard bodies) : clatter
< the windows rattle in the wind >
< a diamondback rattlesnake … slow to coil or rattle unless angered — Marjory S. Douglas >
2. : to make a rattle in the throat
3. : to chatter incessantly and aimlessly
< she rattled on for an hour >
< walked over the grounds … rattling, chatting — George Meredith >
4. : to move or proceed with a clatter or rattle : drive or ride clatteringly
< a wagon rattling through the streets >
< we rattled along briskly >
transitive verb
1. : to say, perform, or affect in a brisk lively fashion especially with a rattle or clatter
< the gale rattled the tiles from the roof >
— often used with off
< guides … rattle off the history of atomic energy — Daniel Lang >
2. : to cause (something) to make a rattling sound
< rattling their mess kits impatiently >
3. archaic : to rail at : scold
< for this he has been rattled — Thomas Gray >
4. : to shake up : rouse
< rattling us up at this hour of the night — Walter Macken >
specifically : to beat (a cover) for game
5. : to disturb the composure of : agitate, disconcert
< rattle a player >
< hecklers trying to rattle the speaker >
6. : to test or tumble (as metal castings) in a rattler
Synonyms: see embarrass
II. noun
(-s)
Usage: often attributive
1.
a. : a rapid succession of sharp clattering sounds like those made by repeated collision of hard bodies
< an old car full of knocks and rattles >
< the rattle of musketry >
< the rattle of a drum >
b. : racket
< cannot bear a place without some cheerfulness and rattle — Samuel Johnson >
c. : noisy rapid talk : chatter
< in a good deal of rattle … a grain or two of sense — R.W.Emerson >
< a light rattle of small talk — E.G.Lowry >
d. : the property of paper that causes it to be noisy when shaken or crumpled
< starch … imparts snap and rattle to the sheet — F.H.Norris >
2.
a. : a child's toy that rattles when shaken and that consists usually of a case containing loose pellets
b. : a noisemaker with a tongue that plays on the teeth of a ratchet wheel when revolved formerly used by watchmen and now by merrymakers — called also watchman's rattle
c. : a dance instrument (as a receptacle with noise-making contents or a stick with clashing objects) that is rhythmically shaken during various dances (as of American Indians) : idiophone
d. : a tiresome or frivolous chatterer : senseless talker
< from the point of view of an artless, affectionate rattle — Mary Bailey >
3.
a. : a plant of the genus Rhinanthus; especially : an annual herb (R. crista-galli) of the north temperate zone with showy yellow purple-spotted flowers that is partially parasitic on grasses and other plants and that has seeds which rattle in the inflated capsule when ripe — called also yellow rattle
b. : a European lousewort (Pedicularis palustris) — called also red rattle
4.
a. : the sound-producing organ on a rattlesnake's tail
b. : one of the constituent segments of this organ
5. : the noise in the throat caused by air passing through mucus; specifically : that heard at the approach of death — compare rale
6. : a movement of brushing forward and striking back with the ball of the foot in dancing
III. transitive verb
(rattled ; rattled ; rattling \-d.əliŋ, -t(ə)l-\ ; rattles)
Etymology: back-formation from rattling (II)
: to furnish (a ship's shrouds) with ratlines : fasten ratlines on — often used with down
< rattle down the rigging > |