Hypertext Webster Gateway: "rattling"
From Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) (web1913)
Rattle \Rat"tle\, v. i. [imp. & p. p. {Rattled}; p. pr. & vb. n.
{Rattling}.] [Akin to D. ratelen, G. rasseln, AS. hr[ae]tele
a rattle, in hr[ae]telwyrt rattlewort; cf. Gr. ? to swing,
wave. Cf. {Rail} a bird.]
1. To make a quick succession of sharp, inharmonious noises,
as by the collision of hard and not very sonorous bodies
shaken together; to clatter.
And the rude hail in rattling tempest forms.
--Addison.
'T was but the wind, Or the car rattling o'er the
stony street. --Byron.
From WordNet (r) 1.7 (wn)
rattling
adj 1: extraordinarily good; used especially as intensifiers; "a
fantastic trip to the Orient"; "the film was
fantastic!"; "a howling success"; "a marvelous
collection of rare books"; "had a rattling
conversation about politics"; "a tremendous
achievement" [syn: {fantastic}, {howling(a)}, {marvelous},
{marvellous}, {rattling(a)}, {terrific}, {tremendous},
{wonderful}, {wondrous}]
2: quick and energetic; "a brisk walk in the park"; "a lively
gait"; "a merry chase"; "traveling at a rattling rate"; "a
snappy pace"; "a spanking breeze" [syn: {brisk}, {lively},
{merry}, {snappy}, {spanking}, {zippy}]
n : a rapid series of short loud sounds (as might be heard with
a stethoscope in some types of respiratory disorders);
"the death rattle" [syn: {rattle}, {rale}]
adv : intensifiers; "she was very gifted"; "he played very well";
"a really enjoyable evening"; (`real' is sometimes used
informally for `really' as in "I'm real sorry about
it"; `rattling' is informal as in "a rattling good
yarn") [syn: {very}, {really}, {real}]
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