rattletrap
noun
rat·tle·trap
ˈra-tᵊl-ˌtrap 
: something rattly or rickety
especially
: an old car
rattletrap
adjective
Examples of rattletrap in a Sentence
Are you still driving that old rattletrap?
Recent Examples on the Web
My final critique reflects something that Cotter and his colleagues are well aware of: The Elf seems a bit of a rattletrap.
—
IEEE Spectrum, 16 Dec. 2013
But the story doesn’t coalesce—to the extent that anything in the rattletrap narrative ever comes together—until the heroine gets a job at a fashionable department store.
—Joe Morgenstern, WSJ, 27 May 2021
Given the rattletrap American health care system — which is far, far worse than Italy's — even that would probably not be sufficient.
—Ryan Cooper, TheWeek, 12 Mar. 2020
The raucously rattletrap musical selections add a fitting, pungent quality to this delirium.
—Duane Bygre, The Hollywood Reporter, 6 Mar. 2020
From Pickwick Lake, the Mississippi DFW reports Alabama-rigs, single swimbaits, rattletraps, jerkbaits, and spinnerbaits are all catching pre-spawn bass.
—Frank Sargeant, AL.com, 23 Mar. 2018
But the daily reality for San Bernardino’s finest is entirely different: a corps savaged by budget cuts, rattletrap equipment, crushing workloads and sunken morale.
—Michael Wines, New York Times, 2 Feb. 2016
Saugeye have been biting around the rocky points of the main lake, mostly on small silver crankbaits and rattletraps.
—Colorado Parks & Wildlife, The Denver Post, 14 May 2017
In the post-Soviet era, demand for the boxy rattletraps plunged ruinously in the face of foreign competition.
—Neil MacFarquhar, New York Times, 17 Sep. 2016
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IEEE Spectrum, 16 Dec. 2013
But the story doesn’t coalesce—to the extent that anything in the rattletrap narrative ever comes together—until the heroine gets a job at a fashionable department store.
—Joe Morgenstern, WSJ, 27 May 2021
Given the rattletrap American health care system — which is far, far worse than Italy's — even that would probably not be sufficient.
—Ryan Cooper, TheWeek, 12 Mar. 2020
The raucously rattletrap musical selections add a fitting, pungent quality to this delirium.
—Duane Bygre, The Hollywood Reporter, 6 Mar. 2020
From Pickwick Lake, the Mississippi DFW reports Alabama-rigs, single swimbaits, rattletraps, jerkbaits, and spinnerbaits are all catching pre-spawn bass.
—Frank Sargeant, AL.com, 23 Mar. 2018
But the daily reality for San Bernardino’s finest is entirely different: a corps savaged by budget cuts, rattletrap equipment, crushing workloads and sunken morale.
—Michael Wines, New York Times, 2 Feb. 2016
Saugeye have been biting around the rocky points of the main lake, mostly on small silver crankbaits and rattletraps.
—Colorado Parks & Wildlife, The Denver Post, 14 May 2017
In the post-Soviet era, demand for the boxy rattletraps plunged ruinously in the face of foreign competition.
—Neil MacFarquhar, New York Times, 17 Sep. 2016
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Cite this Entry
“Rattletrap.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/rattletrap. Accessed 21 Dec. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
rattletrap
noun
rat·tle·trap
-ˌtrap
: something (as an old car) that is rickety and makes rattling noises
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