clatter

1 of 2

verb

clat·​ter ˈkla-tər How to pronounce clatter (audio)
clattered; clattering; clatters

intransitive verb

1
: to make a rattling sound
the dishes clattered on the shelf
2
: to talk noisily or rapidly
3
: to move or go with a clatter
clattered down the stairs

transitive verb

: to cause to clatter
clatterer noun
clatteringly adverb

clatter

2 of 2

noun

1
: a rattling sound (as of hard bodies striking together)
the clatter of pots and pans
2
: commotion
the midday clatter of the business district
3
: noisy chatter
clattery adjective

Examples of clatter in a Sentence

Verb The shutters clattered against the house. He heard dishes clattering in the kitchen. The box dropped and dozens of marbles clattered across the floor. The wagon clattered down the road. Noun the clatter of a crowded cafeteria
Recent Examples on the Web
Verb
Yes, the fervent hordes clattering around TikTok and reality TV attest that many still prize celebrity, influence and their attendant financial promise. Brenda Cronin, WSJ, 29 Oct. 2023 Time to get used to: Opening the door to clattering in the kitchen, the TV on — the sweet sounds of your special someone who has arrived home before you. Katie Toussaint, Charlotte Observer, 31 Jan. 2024 The air was filled with cigarette smoke and the racket of clattering typewriters, editors yelling reminders of how many minutes to deadline, phones ringing, static from police scanners and the occasional thunk of a chair thrown in anger. Daniel Golden, ProPublica, 14 Oct. 2023 Every year another piece of rock chips off the mountain and goes clattering into a chasm below. Rebecca Keegan, The Hollywood Reporter, 29 Sep. 2023 This bird is known for its orange, brown, and yellow coloring and its distinct call, which typically sounds like bones clattering around, in a fun way. Kerry Elson, The New Yorker, 29 Sep. 2023 The power had gone out, and the weather was bad, with ferocious winds violently shaking trees and clattering the store’s glass doors. Julia Wick, Los Angeles Times, 24 Aug. 2023 Read full article Where residents once played beach volleyball at Buccaneer, there are now berms of natural cobblestones that clatter around in the surf like pennies in a washing machine. Jill Cowan, BostonGlobe.com, 2 Sep. 2023 Where residents once played beach volleyball at Buccaneer, there are now berms of natural cobblestones that clatter around in the surf like pennies in a washing machine. Jill Cowan Maggie Shannon, New York Times, 2 Sep. 2023
Noun
Today, the clatter of cutlery and the buzz of conversation compete with the steady stream of delivery drivers and the ping of online orders. Craig Dunaway, Forbes, 1 Mar. 2024 Anything served in a metal steamer, the source of some of the clatter at Bob’s, is worth your attention. Tom Sietsema, Washington Post, 27 Nov. 2023 Live rounds are typically distinguished from dummy rounds by a small hole in the dummy’s brass cartridge, indicating there is no explosive inside, by a missing or dimpled primer at the bottom of the cartridge, or by shaking the round to hear the clatter of a BB that is inserted inside. Morgan Lee, Twin Cities, 13 Feb. 2024 Pass your hand over a patch and a sensor detects your presence, playing a personalized, familiar soundscape: a stroll down a cobblestoned street in the rain, maybe, or the clatter of coffee cups and servers and spoons at a café. Kat McGowan, WIRED, 4 Jan. 2024 The once ubiquitous sounds of exploding shells have been replaced by the clatter of camera shutters. Durdana Bhat, The Christian Science Monitor, 4 Dec. 2023 The melodic guitars are accompanied by the clatter of skateboards landing. Roberto Reyes, Los Angeles Times, 27 Nov. 2023 The cabin experience is slightly less raucous than the 911 R, but more raw than the wingless 911 GT3 Touring, with an intrusive clatter at idle due to the single-mass flywheel and featherlight clutch. Basem Wasef, Robb Report, 21 Oct. 2023 White bellbirds fill the Amazonian soundscape with a clatter of strange, clanging sounds. Sam Walters, Discover Magazine, 17 Oct. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'clatter.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Verb

Middle English clatren, from Old English *clatrian; of imitative origin

First Known Use

Verb

13th century, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1

Noun

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of clatter was in the 13th century

Dictionary Entries Near clatter

Cite this Entry

“Clatter.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/clatter. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

clatter

1 of 2 verb
clat·​ter ˈklat-ər How to pronounce clatter (audio)
1
: to make or cause to make a rattling sound
2
: to move with a clatter
clatterer noun
clatteringly adverb

clatter

2 of 2 noun
1
: a rattling sound (as of hard objects striking together)
the clatter of pots and pans
2
3
: noisy chatter
clattery adjective

More from Merriam-Webster on clatter

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