rattler

• Nom désignant soit un serpent venimeux de la famille des crotales, portant un crépitement au bout de la queue, soit, de manière informelle, un train de marchandises.

A noun that can refer either to a venomous pit viper with a rattle at the end of its tail, or informally to a freight train.

1. B2formal

   A venomous pit viper with horny segments at the end of its tail that produce a rattling sound when shaken.

   Crotale

   • The hiker heard a rattler in the bushes and stopped immediately.
   • Rattlers are common in the deserts of the southwestern United States.
   • A rattler's warning sound is unmistakable in the wild.

   Synonymesrattlesnake

2. Freight trainC1informalamerican

   A railroad train consisting of freight cars, often used informally.

   train de marchandises

   • The old rattler rolled slowly through the countryside.
   • He worked on a rattler hauling coal across the state.
   • The sound of a rattler passing by could be heard from miles away.

   Synonymesfreightfreight train