rattletrap
English · Thesaurus
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rattletrap
Where it comes from
From rattle + trap.
adjective
- Mechanically unreliable or in disrepair. 2006, Paul McGeough, Bush 'palace' shielded from Iraqi storm, theage.com.au, August 26, http://www.theage.com.au/news/world/bush-palace-shielded-from-iraqi-storm/2006/08/25/1156012740594.html, All services for the biggest embassy in the world will operate independently from the rattletrap utilities
noun rattletraps
-
A mechanical device, particularly an automobile, that is worn out, run down, or mechanically unreliable as indicated by noises it makes in operation.
Mom always worried about our safety in my friend's rattletrap. I told her not to worry, as it can't go fast enough to be dangerous.
Similar: banger, bucket of bolts, beater, bucket of rust, clunker, crate, crock, flivver, gas guzzler, hooptie, jalopy, junker
- Any piece of miscellaneous equipment or junk. And they tumbled about the rattletraps under the cupboard, and rummaged the drawers in search of the sacred volume.
- A type of noisemaker in which the teeth of a gear repeatedly bend and release a stiff tongue.
- A person's mouth. Shut your rattletrap!
Translations
Every language
noun unreliable mechanical device
| Español | tartana |
|---|---|
| Français | tacot, teuf-teuf, tas de ferraille |
| Deutsch | Klapperkiste |
| Italiano | carcassa |
| Русский | драндулет drandulet |
Talk about this word "rattletrap." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/rattletrap. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026. rattletrap. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/rattletrap "rattletrap." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/rattletrap.Cite this
@misc{rattletrap_2026,
title = {rattletrap},
howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
year = {2026},
url = {https://micwyn.com/word/rattletrap},
urldate = {2026-11-06}
}
