watchman's rattles

A form of watchman's rattle — An instrument, with a vibrating tongue fixed in a frame, which slips over the teeth of a ratchet wheel and produces a loud raucous sound when whirled around, once used by watchmen to warn of danger

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Meanings

noun
  1. pluralplural of watchman's rattle
Cite this entry
APA

watchman's rattles. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/watchman's%20rattles

MLA

“watchman's rattles.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/watchman's%20rattles. Accessed November 5, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “watchman's rattles,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/watchman's%20rattles.

Source: watchman's rattles on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.