watchman's rattle
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English
[edit]Noun
[edit]watchman's rattle (plural watchman's rattles or watchmen's rattles)
- 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
Synonyms
[edit]- fiddle (obsolete slang)