clatter

/ˈklædər/

/ˈklætə/

Other forms: clattering; clattered; clatters

A clatter is a clacking or rattling sound, like the clatter of horse hooves on pavement or the clatter of toys being thrown down a wooden staircase by an angry child.

Clatter is also a verb, meaning "to make a continuous rattling or clanking sound." You might clatter down the school hallway in your clogs, or watch your dogs clatter across a frozen pond, their toenails clicking on the ice. Clatter comes from the Old English onomatopoeic clatrung, "a clattering," or simply "noise."

Definitions of clatter

1. noun

   a rattling noise (often produced by rapid movement)
   “the shutters clattered against the house”

   “the clatter of iron wheels on cobblestones”

   type of:

   noise

   sound of any kind (especially unintelligible or dissonant sound)
2. verb

   make a rattling sound
   “clattering dishes”

   synonyms: brattle, clack

   type of:

   make noise, noise, resound

   emit a noise