Speakur

Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

sabre-rattling

Word Rarity Rare

Frequency: 2.80 in modern English

Syllables
sabre-rat-tling
IPA
16
Scrabble Score
13
Letters
3
Syllables
10
Unique Chars

Meaning

noun

A flamboyant display of military power as an implied threat that it might be used.

Countable; Uncountable

noun

Any threat, such as one company threatening another with a lawsuit.

Countable; Uncountable

verb

present participle and gerund of sabre-rattle

adj

Bellicose; threatening military action.

Example Sentences

Etymology

From the early 20th century, when an officer would threaten to draw his sabre.

Usage

Inflected Forms

sabre-rattlings (plural) saber-rattling (mostly US) (alternative) saber rattling (mostly US) (alternative) sabre rattling (alternative) more sabre-rattling (comparative) most sabre-rattling (superlative)

Phrases

gunboat diplomacy rattle a saber rattle a sabre rattle one's saber rattle one's sabre rattle the saber rattle the sabre saber-rattle

Frequently Paired Words

gunboat diplomacy rattle rattle a saber rattle a sabre rattle one's saber rattle one's sabre rattle the saber rattle the sabre

Questions

What does sabre-rattling mean?
A flamboyant display of military power as an implied threat that it might be used.
Where does sabre-rattling come from?
From the early 20th century, when an officer would threaten to draw his sabre.

How to pronounce sabre-rattling

  1. Open the pronunciation page — Open the Speakur entry for “sabre-rattling”.
  2. Read the phonetic spelling — Read the IPA spelling () so you know which sounds to aim for.
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