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rattle around

phrasal verb

Definition of rattle around

informal
: to live or spend time in a place that is very big
  • Her husband died last year, and now she's just rattling around in that huge house by herself.
  • We rattled around Europe last summer.
—sometimes used figuratively
  • An old song has been rattling around in my head all day.

Word by Word Definitions

rattle play

  1. : to make a rapid succession of short sharp noises

  2. : to chatter incessantly and aimlessly

  3. : to move with a clatter or rattle

  1. : a device that produces a rattle

  2. : the sound-producing organ on a rattlesnake's tail

  3. : a rapid succession of sharp clattering sounds

  1. : to furnish with ratlines

See the full definition of rattle
around play

  1. : in a circle or in circumference

  2. : in, along, or through a circuit

  3. : on all or various sides : in every or any direction

  1. : on all sides of

  2. : so as to encircle or enclose

  3. : so as to avoid or get past : on or to another side of

  1. : about

  2. : being in existence, evidence, or circulation

See the full definition of around

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