Makes a loud, rattling noise from objects striking together repeatedly, or such a noise itself.
From Middle English 'clateren,' possibly imitative of the sound itself or from Old Norse 'klatra.' The word is onomatopoetic, designed to sound like the noise it describes.
Onomatopoetic words like 'clatter' are supposedly universal, but languages actually describe the same sounds differently—English says 'clatter' but Japanese says 'gatagata' and Spanish says 'tableteo,' proving even the 'same' sounds are heard through cultural and linguistic filters.
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