rattler
Definition
Noun: 1. A pit viper with horny segments at the end of the tail that rattle when shaken: A type of venomous snake, specifically a rattlesnake, characterized by a segmented rattle at the tip of its tail. 2. A railroad train consisting of freight cars: (Informal, dated) A freight train, often implying it is old, noisy, or slow-moving.
Usage Examples
Noun (Snake):
- The hiker froze when he heard the distinct buzz of a rattler in the underbrush.
- This desert is home to several species of rattler.
Noun (Train):
- In the old days, you could hear the nightly rattler carrying goods across the plains.
- The old rattler chugged slowly along the mountain pass.
Advanced Usage
- "As mean as a rattler": An idiom describing someone who is very ill-tempered or dangerous.
- Be careful negotiating with him; he can be as mean as a rattler.
Variants and Related Words
- Rattle (verb): To make a rapid series of short, sharp sounds.
- The windows rattled in the storm.
- Rattlesnake (noun): The full, more formal term for the snake.
- The diamondback rattlesnake is a common type of rattler.
- Rattletrap (noun): An old, rickety vehicle. This is a related informal term, distinct from "rattler."
- He drove an ancient rattletrap that smoked and squealed.
Synonyms
- For the snake: rattlesnake, pit viper.
- For the train: freight train, goods train (British English).
Related Phrases
- "Sound the rattler": (Historical/Rare) A phrase that could refer to the sound of a rattlesnake's warning or the noise of an approaching train.
- "Shake a leg or you'll miss the rattler!": (Informal, dated) Hurry up or you'll miss the train.
Noun
-
a railroad train consisting of freight cars
-
pit viper with horny segments at the end of the tail that rattle when shaken
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