Forms: 3–6 clater, 5 clatere, clatre, clathyr, 6 clattyr, clattre, 5– clatter. [OE. clatrian (in clatrunge), corresp. to MDu. and Du. klateren to rattle, clatter, babble, E.Fris. klatern, klattern, LG. klāteren, dial. Ger. klattern, klättern; of onomatopœic origin. In Ger. and Du. the word is synonymous with klapper(e)n, klepper(e)n. The order of senses is uncertain: cf. the sb.]
1. intr. To make or emit a rapid succession of short sharp noises in striking a hard and dry body; to rattle. Said either of the material instruments or the agent.
[c. 1050. Gloss., in Wr.-Wülcker, 377/27. Crepacula, clatrunge.]
c. 1340. Gaw. & Gr. Knt., 731. Þer as claterande fro þe crest þe colde borne rennez.
c. 1386. Chaucer, Knt.’s T., 1501. The arwes in the caas Of the goddesse clatren faste and rynge.
c. 1400. Destr. Troy, 5787. Cloudis with the clamour claterit aboue.
1513. Douglas, Æneis, IX. x. 161. [They] hard hys arrowis clatterand in hys cace.
1719. De Foe, Crusoe (1840), II. xiii. 274. They fall a-clattering with … drums and kettles.
1787. Burns, Holy Fair, xviii. There the pint-stoup clatters.
1853. Kane, Grinnell Exp., xlvi. (1854), 423. [Masses] roll clattering down the slopes.
1878. H. S. Wilson, Alpine Ascents, i. 4. His heavy boots clatter upon the round pebbles.
† b. intr. To go to pieces with such a noise; to be shattered; to fall into ruins. Obs.
a. 1225. Leg. Kath., 2026. Hit bigon to claterin al & to cleouen.
c. 1325. E. E. Allit. P., B. 912. Sodomas schal … synk in-to grounde … & vche a koste of þis kyth clater vpon hepes.
c. 1340. Gaw. & Gr. Knt., 1722. As alle þe clamberande clyffes hade clatered on hepes.
c. To move rapidly with such a noise, to rattle along, down, over, etc.
1810. Scott, Lady of L., I. iii. Clattered a hundred steeds along.
1842. T. Martin, My Namesake, in Fraser’s Mag., Dec., 650/2. Punctual to a minute, up clattered the omnibus.
1858. Hawthorne, Fr. & It. Jrnls. (1872), I. 57. Clattering over the pavements on wooden shoes.
1881. Besant & Rice, Chapl. of Fleet, II. xix. (1883), 256. He came clattering down the street.
2. trans. To cause to rattle; to strike or dash together with a clattering noise.
1537. Thersytes, in Four O. Pl. (1848), 82. And clatteringe there youre pottes with ale.
1583. Stanyhurst, Poems, Æneis, VIII. (Arb.), 137. A clapping fyerbolt (such as … Ioue toe the ground clattreth).
1751. Johnson, Rambler, No. 161, ¶ 11. He sometimes stamped as in a rage … then clattered his chairs.
1768–74. Tucker, Lt. Nat. (1852), II. 445. The servants clatter the plates and glasses.
1862. Sala, Seven Sons, I. x. 252. [He] clattered his tea-cup.
b. north. dial. To beat, thrash (a person).
1849. C. Brontë, Shirley, xxxii. 471. Whisht! is that Horsfall clattering him? I wonder he does not yell out.
1855. Robinson, Whitby Gloss., To clatter, to beat, to chastise. ‘I’ll clatter thee.’
1876. Mid-Yorksh. Gloss. (E. D. S.), Clatter, to beat with the open hands.
3. intr. To talk rapidly and noisily; to talk idly; to chatter, pratile, babble. In mod. Sc., to tattle, talk scandal.
1401. Pol. Poems (1859), II. 60. Thou claterist meche of orderis of aungeles in heuen.
c. 1440. York Myst., xl. 11. Who comes þere claterand?
a. 1450. Knt. de la Tour (1868), 40. Of them that usen to clatre, speke, and iangle atte the masse.
1525. Ld. Berners, Froiss., II. ccxxii. 684. The people begyn to clater and to murmur therat.
1570. Levins, Manip., 77/37. To clatter, prate, balbutire.
1641. Milton, Ch. Discip., I. (1851), 21. Since hee must needs bee the Load-starre of Reformation as some men clatter.
1662. R. Mathew, Unl. Alch., § 79. 105. Her husband … clatters hard against me and my Pills.
1727. De Foe, Hist. Appar., xiv. 349. Those who clatter that Peter never was at Rome.
1818. Scott, Antiq., xxiv. Ye may be sure it was clattered about in the kitchen.
b. To chatter as a magpie.
1549. Compl. Scot., vi. (1873), 39. The tuechitis cryit theuis nek quhen the piettis clattrit.
4. trans. To utter in a chattering way; blab, prate about. Obs. (or only as transf. from 1.)
c. 1325. Poem temp. Edw. II., 120, in Pol. Songs (Wr.), 329. He … Adihteth him a gay wenche … And there hii clateren cumpelin whan the candel is oute.
1401. Pol. Poems (1859), II. 76. Counceil owith to be kept and not to be clatrid.
c. 1450. Merlin, i. 12. The women clatered it aboute.
1526. W. Bonde, Pilgr. Perf. (1531), 36 b. To clater forth his blynde prophecyes.
1573. G. Harvey, Letter-bk. (1884), 108.
| That is ye matter | |
| That poetts clatter. |
1581. J. Bell, Haddon’s Answ. Osor., 28 b. When you clatter out such matters.
1625. Gill, Sacr. Philos., II. 174. That which these heretikes clatter.
1735. Bp. Wilson, in Keble, Life, xxvi. (1863), 875. Many of the clerks hurry over the responses, and Psalms and Hymns, as fast as ever they can clatter them over.
5. The verb-stem is used advb. (cf. bang, etc.).
1884. G. Moore, Mummer’s Wife (1887), 152. Clatter, clatter, clatter, went the bell.
