Relating to or resembling a rattle or rattling sound, particularly in reference to rattlesnakes or their characteristics.
From Latin crotalum (rattle), derived from Greek krotalon (castanet, rattle), related to the verb krotein (to strike). The suffix -ic means 'relating to or characterized by.'
The root crotalum gives us our word for rattlesnake in Spanish (crótalo), and scientists still use 'crotalid' for the whole rattlesnake family—making ancient Greek percussion instruments and venomous snakes etymologically cousins!
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