rattletrap
2
8.9
- noun
- /ˈrætlˌtræp/
- Archaic
:
carro viejo
- She had traveled nearly two thousand miles—most of it by rattletrap bus.
- rattletrap truck
- rattletrap bus
- rattletrap car
Examples
-
He drove around town in his old rattletrap car, which made an awful noise but got him where he needed to go.
-
Exactly why do I need to be the one to stay in this rattletrap and work the hopper?
-
No one threw rocks or got into a rattletrap truck and chased me.
Fiction book (1991) -
In Doss's ancient rattletrap van, they arrived after dark at block-long Talleyrand Street in the French Quarter.
Fiction book (2002) -
You and your tribe are more than Chaiko hoped for as far as the number is concerned, but you saw something here the day you drove up in that rattletrap Plymouth.
-
The clutch on the rattletrap bus I'd taken to the cemetery was giving out at the prospect of climbing a mild grade in the road beyond.
Fiction book (2001) -
Nora Kelly guided the rattletrap Ford pickup along the road, down chamisa-covered hills and across the beds of dry washes.
Fiction book (2000) -
After years of use, my rattletrap of a bike still works, although it creaks loudly with every pedal.
-
They finally decided it was time to replace their rattletrap truck, which had been in disrepair for far too long.
Synonyms
1
9.1
A thing that makes a loud metal clanking sound
An old noisy car that often breaks down
How Broken
Surface Forms
Morphology
Etymology
The word rattletrap comes from rattle ('a quick, noisy shaking sound') and trap ('a small cart or cheap machine'), so it paints a picture of a noisy, shaky old vehicle or contraption. That's why a rattletrap means a run-down car or machine that makes a lot of noise but still works.