brattle: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples
very_lowarchaic, poetic, regional
Quick answer
What does “brattle” mean?
To make a short, sharp, rattling sound.
Audio
Pronunciation
Definition
Meaning and Definition
To make a short, sharp, rattling sound.
To move or rush with a clattering or rattling noise; to create a sudden, percussive auditory disturbance. Historically, it can also describe noisy, hurried activity.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
The word is equally archaic in both varieties. It may have slightly more historical currency in Scottish English due to Robert Burns' use.
Connotations
In British (especially Scottish) usage, it retains a stronger poetic/dialectal flavour. In American English, it is almost entirely a literary/archaic curiosity.
Frequency
Extremely rare in modern speech and writing in both regions.
Grammar
How to Use “brattle” in a Sentence
[Subject] brattles[Subject] brattles against/on [Object]Vocabulary
Collocations
Examples
Examples of “brattle” in a Sentence
verb
British English
- The hailstones began to brattle against the greenhouse roof.
- We heard a cart brattle over the cobbled street.
American English
- The sudden gust made the shutters brattle violently.
- Dry leaves brattled across the frozen pavement.
Usage
Meaning in Context
Business
Not used.
Academic
Might appear in historical or literary analysis.
Everyday
Virtually never used.
Technical
Not used.
Watch out
Common Mistakes When Using “brattle”
- Using it as a common verb for any noise.
- Confusing it with 'prattle' (to chatter).
- Using it in modern, informal contexts.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, but it is archaic and rarely used outside of poetic or dialectal contexts.
It appears in Robert Burns' 1785 Scots poem 'To a Mouse': 'The best-laid schemes o' mice an' men / Gang aft agley, / An' lea'e us nought but grief an' pain, / For promis'd joy! / Still thou art blest, compar'd wi' me! / The present only toucheth thee: / But och! I backward cast my e'e, / On prospects drear! / An' forward, tho' I canna see, / I guess an' fear!' In an earlier verse, he writes of 'The brattle o' winter'.
Yes, though even rarer. It can mean 'a rattling noise' or 'a sudden, noisy rush', as in 'a brattle of hailstones'.
'Brattle' refers to a sharp, rattling sound. 'Prattle' means to talk at length in a foolish or inconsequential way. They are unrelated in meaning but can be confused due to similar spelling.
To make a short, sharp, rattling sound.
Brattle is usually archaic, poetic, regional in register.
Brattle: in British English it is pronounced /ˈbræt(ə)l/, and in American English it is pronounced /ˈbræd(ə)l/. Tap the audio buttons above to hear it.
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “[No common idioms]”
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think of 'BRAnch' RATTLE: a branch rattling sharply against a window pane.
Conceptual Metaphor
SOUND IS IMPACT (the sound is conceptualised as a series of sharp, physical strikes).
Practice
Quiz
In modern English, 'brattle' is best described as: