in sing.
1- a continuous rattling sound as of hard objects falling or striking each other（硬物下落或互相撞击的）连续铿锵声：
the horse spun round with a clatter of hooves
随着马蹄的嗒嗒声, 马儿转过身来
she dropped her knife and fork with a clatter.
她丢下刀叉, 发出当啷啷的声音。
1.1
- noisy rapid talk咭咭呱呱的谈笑声, 喧嚷：
I could hear the staccato clatter of Mexican from the next table.
我能听见邻桌有人用墨西哥语断断续续咭咭呱呱的谈话声。
1
- make or cause to make a continuous rattling sound（使）发出咔嗒声, （使）发出格格声, （使）发出叮当声：
no obj. her coffee cup clattered in the saucer她的咖啡杯与碟撞击, 发出咔咔声
with obj. she clattered cups and saucers on to a tray.她叮叮当当地把杯和碟放在托盘里。
1.1
- no obj., with adverbial of direction fall or move with a clatter掉落（或移动）时发出咔嗒声（或叮当声）：
they heard Sybil's shoes clattering up the stone steps
他们听到西比尔往上走时鞋子在石阶上发出咔嗒咔嗒声
the knife clattered to the floor.
刀当啷一声掉到了地上。
1.2
- with obj. Brit. informal (of a soccer player) foul (an opponent)〈英, 非正式〉（足球运动员）对（对手）犯规：
Bennett clattered Coleman ten yards out from goal
贝内特在离球门十码的地方对科尔曼犯规了
no obj. Thatcher clattered into Beckham.撒切尔对贝克汉姆犯规了。
词源
Old English (as a verb), of imitative origin.