rattler
rattler Lexical Profile
rattler Game Scores & Validity
• noun
North American An informal term for a rattlesnake, a venomous pit viper of the genera Crotalus and Sistrurus native to the Americas, characterized by segmented keratin rings at the tip of the tail that produce a buzzing warning sound when shaken.
"The park ranger warned the hikers to watch their step on the sunny rock ledges where a rattler might be basking."
A person or object that makes a rapid succession of short, sharp, clattering sounds, or a device designed to produce such a noise.
"The old delivery van was a noisy rattler that woke up the whole street every morning."
American A freight train or railway car (used colloquially or in historical slang).
"In the 1930s, transient workers often hopped a fast rattler heading west in search of seasonal farm labor."
• Rhymes for rattler
• Nearby Words
Usage Trend
Historical frequency of usage in published text.