bead-rattler

noun

A Roman Catholic.

Meanings

nounbead-rattler (plural bead-rattlers)

plural bead-rattlers

  1. derogatoryA Roman Catholic.

    He's a bead rattler, a papist.

    2013, Charles Knepper, The Fleecing, page 25
    4 more examples

    And can't you smell that bacon? To think that a poor bead-rattler like me can't have any, on a Friday, no matter how early he's up, and that you might have all you wanted, if you'd only take the trouble to come and get it, you lazy heretics!

    1951, Frances Parkinson Keyes, Joy Street, page 236

    A young bead-rattler it was, made the same mistake as yersel.

    2012, Jeff Torrington, Swing Hammer Swing!

    Seeing how ye're a native son of our beloved country, and ain't a bead rattler, I'm gonna be generous and set ya a task.

    2013, Stephen L. Antczak, James C. Bassett, Clockwork Fairy Tales: A Collection of Steampunk Fables

    I recall being impressed that you were able to translate it, though probably at the cost of the unreconstructed Rangers fans on the firm marking you down as a bead-rattler.

    2017, Chris Brookmyre, Siege Mentality

Origin

Cite this entry
APA

bead-rattler. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/bead-rattler

MLA

“bead-rattler.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/bead-rattler. Accessed November 4, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “bead-rattler,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/bead-rattler.

Source: bead-rattler on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.