Rattle \Rat"tle\ (r[a^]t"t'l), v. t.

1. To cause to make a rattling or clattering sound; as, to rattle a chain. [1913 Webster]

2. To assail, annoy, or stun with a rattling noise. [1913 Webster]

Sound but another [drum], and another shall As loud as thine rattle the welkin's ear. --Shak. [1913 Webster]

3. Hence, to disconcert; to confuse; as, to rattle one's judgment; to rattle a player in a game. [Colloq.]

[1913 Webster]

4. To scold; to rail at. --L'Estrange. [1913 Webster]

To rattle off.
   (a) To tell glibly or noisily; as, to rattle off a story.
   (b) To rail at; to scold. "She would sometimes rattle off her servants sharply." --Arbuthnot. [1913 Webster]

Source: The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48
 

Rattle \Rat"tle\, n.

1. A rapid succession of sharp, clattering sounds; as, the rattle of a drum. --Prior. [1913 Webster]

2. Noisy, rapid talk. [1913 Webster]

All this ado about the golden age is but an empty rattle and frivolous conceit. --Hakewill. [1913 Webster]

3. An instrument with which a rattling sound is made; especially, a child's toy that rattles when shaken. [1913 Webster]

The rattles of Isis and the cymbals of Brasilea nearly enough resemble each other. --Sir W. Raleigh. [1913 Webster]

Pleased with a rattle, tickled with a straw. --Pope. [1913 Webster]

4. A noisy, senseless talker; a jabberer. [1913 Webster]

It may seem strange that a man who wrote with so much perspicuity, vivacity, and grace, should have been, whenever he took a part in conversation, an empty, noisy, blundering rattle. --Macaulay. [1913 Webster]

5. A scolding; a sharp rebuke. [Obs.]

--Heylin. [1913 Webster]

6. (Zool.) Any organ of an animal having a structure adapted to produce a rattling sound. [1913 Webster]

Note: The rattle of a rattlesnake is composed of the hardened terminal scales, loosened in succession, but not cast off, and so modified in form as to make a series of loose, hollow joints. [1913 Webster]

7. The noise in the throat produced by the air in passing through mucus which the lungs are unable to expel; -- chiefly observable at the approach of death, when it is called the death rattle. See R[^a]le. [1913 Webster]

To spring a rattle, to cause it to sound.

Yellow rattle (Bot.), a yellow-flowered herb (Rhinanthus Crista-galli), the ripe seeds of which rattle in the inflated calyx. [1913 Webster]

Source: The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48
 

Rattle \Rat"tle\ (r[a^]t"t'l), v. i. [imp. & p. p. Rattled (-t'ld); p. pr. & vb. n. Rattling (-tl[i^]ng).]

[Akin to D. ratelen, G. rasseln, AS. hr[ae]tele a rattle, in hr[ae]telwyrt rattlewort; cf. Gr. kradai`nein to swing, wave. Cf. Rail a bird.]

1. To make a quick succession of sharp, inharmonious noises, as by the collision of hard and not very sonorous bodies shaken together; to clatter. [1913 Webster]

And the rude hail in rattling tempest forms. --Addison. [1913 Webster]

'T was but the wind, Or the car rattling o'er the stony street. --Byron. [1913 Webster]

2. To drive or ride briskly, so as to make a clattering; as, we rattled along for a couple of miles. [Colloq.]

[1913 Webster]

3. To make a clatter with the voice; to talk rapidly and idly; to clatter; -- with on or away; as, she rattled on for an hour. [Colloq.]

[1913 Webster]

Source: The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48
 

333 Moby Thesaurus words for "rattle": Bedlam let loose, Klaxon, abash, abate, addle, addle the wits, agitate, agreeable rattle, assault, attenuate, babble, babbler, ball up, battery, bear, bear upon, becloud, bedazzle, bedlam, befuddle, bells, bewilder, bicker, big talker, blab, blabber, blabberer, blast, blather, blatherer, blether, blunt, bobbery, boiler factory, boiler room, bones, boost, bother, bounce, brattle, brawl, brouhaha, buck, bug, bull, bull-roarer, bulldoze, bullshit, bump, bump against, bunt, butt, butt against, cackle, call off, castanets, catcall, celesta, charivari, chat, chatter, chatterbox, chatterer, cherry bomb, chime, chimes, chirm, clack, clacker, clacket, clamor, clangor, clap, clapper, clappers, clatter, clatter about, clitter, clitterclatter, cloud, clunter, commotion, confound, confuse, cracker, crackle, crackling, cram, cramp, crash cymbal, cricket, cripple, crowd, cymbals, damp, dampen, daze, dazzle, deaden, debilitate, devitalize, dig, din, discombobulate, discomfit, discompose, disconcert, discord, discountenance, disorganize, disorient, disquiet, distract, disturb, dither, donnybrook, drive, drivel, drool, drunken brawl, dull, dustup, elbow, electrify, embarrass, enervate, enfeeble, entangle, enumerate, eviscerate, exhaust, extenuate, faze, finger cymbals, firecracker, flap, flummox, flurry, fluster, flutter, fog, force, fracas, free-for-all, fuddle, fuss, gab, gabber, gabble, gabbler, gamelan, gas, gasbag, gibber, gibble-gabble, gibble-gabbler, glockenspiel, go on, goad, gong, gossip, great talker, gruel, gush, handbells, haver, hell broke loose, horn, hot-air artist, howl, hubbub, hue and cry, hullabaloo, hurtle, hustle, idiophone, idle chatterer, jab, jabber, jabberer, jam, jangle, jar, jaw, jay, jiggle, jog, joggle, jolt, jostle, jounce, lay low, list, loud noise, lyra, magpie, maraca, marimba, maze, metallophone, mist, mitigate, mix up, moider, moulin a paroles, muddle, natter, noise, noise and shouting, noisemaker, nudge, orchestral bells, outcry, palaver, pandemonium, patter, patterer, percussion, percussion instrument, percussions, percussive, perplex, perturb, piffle, pile drive, poke, pother, pour forth, prate, prater, prattle, prattler, press, prod, punch, push, put off, put out, racket, raise hell, ram, ram down, ramble, ramble on, rattle around, rattle on, rattlebones, rattlebox, rattletybang, rattling, recite, reduce, reel off, rhubarb, roar, rock, row, ruckle, ruckus, ruction, ruffle, rumble, rumpus, run, run against, run on, run through, sap, shake, shake up, shatter, shindy, shivaree, shock, shoulder, shove, siren, sizzler, snapper, snappers, soften up, speed, spout, spout off, stagger, steam whistle, stir, stress, talk away, talk nonsense, talk on, tam-tam, tamp, throw into confusion, thrust, thunder, thunderclap, ticktack, tintamarre, tintinnabula, tittle-tattle, tonitruone, triangle, trouble, tubular bells, tumult, twaddle, twattle, unbrace, undermine, unman, unnerve, unsettle, unstrengthen, unstring, uproar, upset, utter, vapor, vibes, vibraphone, vibrate, waffle, weaken, whistle, whizgig, whizzer, windbag, windjammer, word-slinger, xylophone, yak, yakkety-yak

Source: Moby Thesaurus II by Grady Ward, 1.0
 

rattle

Source: WordNet (r) 2.0
 

Rattle \Rat"tle\, v. t.

1. To cause to make a ratting or clattering sound; as, to rattle a chain.

2. To assail, annoy, or stun with a ratting noise.

Sound but another [drum], and another shall As loud as thine rattle the welkin's ear. --Shak.

3. Hence, to disconcert; to confuse; as, to rattle one's judgment; to rattle a player in a game. [Colloq.]

4. To scold; to rail at. --L'Estrange.

To rattle off.
   (a) To tell glibly or noisily; as, to rattle off a story.
   (b) To rail at; to scold. ``She would sometimes rattle off her servants sharply.'' --Arbuthnot.

Source: Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913)
 

Rattle \Rat"tle\, n.

1. A rapid succession of sharp, clattering sounds; as, the rattle of a drum. --Prior.

2. Noisy, rapid talk.

All this ado about the golden age is but an empty rattle and frivolous conceit. --Hakewill.

3. An instrument with which a ratting sound is made; especially, a child's toy that rattle when shaken.

The rattles of Isis and the cymbals of Brasilea nearly enough resemble each other. --Sir W. Raleigh.

Pleased with a rattle, tickled with a straw. --Pope.

4. A noisy, senseless talker; a jabberer.

It may seem strange that a man who wrote with so much perspicuity, vivacity, and grace, should have been, whenever he took a part in conversation, an empty, noisy, blundering rattle. --Macaulay.

5. A scolding; a sharp rebuke. [Obs.]

--Heylin.

6. (Zo["o]l.) Any organ of an animal having a structure adapted to produce a ratting sound.

Note: The rattle of the rattlesnake is composed of the hardened terminal scales, loosened in succession, but not cast off, and so modified in form as to make a series of loose, hollow joints.

7. The noise in the throat produced by the air in passing through mucus which the lungs are unable to expel; -- chiefly observable at the approach of death, when it is called the death rattle. See R[^a]le.

To spring a rattle, to cause it to sound.

Yellow rattle (Bot.), a yellow-flowered herb (Rhinanthus Crista-galli), the ripe seeds of which rattle in the inflated calyx.

Source: Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913)
 

Rattle \Rat"tle\, v. i. [imp. & p. p. Rattled; p. pr. & vb. n. Rattling.]

[Akin to D. ratelen, G. rasseln, AS. hr[ae]tele a rattle, in hr[ae]telwyrt rattlewort; cf. Gr. ? to swing, wave. Cf. Rail a bird.]

1. To make a quick succession of sharp, inharmonious noises, as by the collision of hard and not very sonorous bodies shaken together; to clatter.

And the rude hail in rattling tempest forms. --Addison.

'T was but the wind, Or the car rattling o'er the stony street. --Byron.

Source: Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913)