Rattletrap

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A decrepit, noisy vehicle or object that is barely functional and produces constant clanking or creaking sounds when in use
2. A dilapidated machine or conveyance that produces loud rattling noises while operating poorly
3. An old, rickety contraption that makes excessive clattering sounds and functions unreliably

Etymology: A rattletrap is, quite literally, a rattle with a trap: the word combines "rattle," a noise-making word, with "trap," a common Old English-derived term for a box, contrivance, or piece of equipment. The compound is a straightforward English formation, built from two everyday words rather than borrowed from another language. Its sense is an easy one to picture. A rattletrap is a vehicle or machine that clatters and shakes as it runs, one held together by loose parts and good intentions. The noise is the defining feature, which is why the first element is the verb "rattle" rather than something quieter. The "trap" in the compound is older than its modern meaning of a device for catching animals, and in this word it carries its broader sense of an apparatus or piece of gear, which suits a contraption more than a snare.

Synonyms: jalopy, beater, clunker, wreck, heap

Antonyms: luxury car, new car, sports car, sedan, convertible