---
title: clatter — school dictionary · trees and pragmatics
description: «clatter» in the school dictionary: To clatter is to make a loud, rattling noise as hard things bang against each other, like falling pans or shoes on stairs. Every meaning for a pupil with its dependency tree and pragmatics.
---

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# clatter

<!-- .vintro -->
**Who acts:** hard things, clatter, pans, We, hooves, He · **What happens:** clatter, be, rattle, bang, fall, hear · **To what, where:** noise, each, pans, stairs, clatter, boots

<!-- .vabout -->
«clatter» in the school dictionary: its 3 meanings for a pupil and its 8 examples, every sentence parsed by Mova itself — its syntax tree, a dependency tree in the style of Universal Dependencies, and its pragmatics clause by clause. The word in the dictionary, with its sense in the lessons: [clatter in the school dictionary](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/school/w/clatter.md).

## Meaning 1 {#m1}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
To clatter is to make a loud, rattling noise as hard things bang against each other, like falling pans or shoes on stairs.

<!-- fold The tree, 23 words -->
```conllu
# sent_id = dict:school:clatter:m1:1
# text = To clatter is to make a loud, rattling noise as hard things bang against each other, like falling pans or shoes on stairs.
1	To	to	PART	TO	_	2	mark	_	_
2	clatter	clatter	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	5	csubj	_	_
3	is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	5	cop	_	_
4	to	to	PART	TO	_	5	mark	_	_
5	make	make	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	0	root	_	_
6	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	7	det	_	_
7	loud	loud	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	5	xcomp	_	SpaceAfter=No
8	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	9	punct	_	_
9	rattling	rattle	VERB	VBG	Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Part	5	advcl	_	_
10	noise	noise	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	9	obj	_	_
11	as	as	SCONJ	IN	_	14	mark	_	_
12	hard	hard	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	13	amod	_	_
13	things	thing	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	14	nsubj	_	_
14	bang	bang	VERB	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	9	advcl	_	_
15	against	against	ADP	IN	_	16	case	_	_
16	each	each	DET	DT	ExtPos=PRON|PronType=Rcp	14	obl	_	_
17	other	other	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	16	fixed	_	SpaceAfter=No
18	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	20	punct	_	_
19	like	like	SCONJ	IN	_	20	mark	_	_
20	falling	fall	VERB	VBG	Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Part	9	conj	_	_
21	pans	pan	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	20	obj	_	_
22	or	or	CCONJ	CC	_	23	cc	_	_
23	shoes	shoe	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	21	conj	_	_
24	on	on	ADP	IN	_	25	case	_	_
25	stairs	stair	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	20	obl	_	SpaceAfter=No
26	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	5	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **clatter** | to-infinitive |  |  |  |  |  |  | vn sound\_emission-43.2 «NP V»: agent=Theme |
| 2 | **is** | present |  |  |  |  |  | loud, make *property* | tree rules |
| 3 | **rattle** | gerund |  | noise |  |  |  |  | vn animal\_sounds-38 «NP V NP.theme»: agent=Agent noise=Theme |
| 4 | **bang** | present | hard things |  |  | each |  |  | vn sound\_emission-43.2 «NP V PP.location»: agent=Theme against each=Location |
| 5 | **fall** | gerund |  | pans or shoes |  | stairs |  |  | vn become-109.1-1 «NP V ADJ»: agent=Patient pan=Result |

<!-- .note -->
One row per clause the reader finds. «not said here»: a role filled from the clause above. «roles by»: a VerbNet class and frame when one fits the verb, else the reader's rules on the tree.

## Meaning 2 {#m2}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
A clatter is that loud, rattling noise.

```conllu
# sent_id = dict:school:clatter:m2:1
# text = A clatter is that loud, rattling noise.
1	A	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	2	det	_	_
2	clatter	clatter	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	5	nsubj	_	_
3	is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	5	cop	_	_
4	that	that	SCONJ	IN	_	5	mark	_	_
5	loud	loud	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	0	root	_	SpaceAfter=No
6	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	7	punct	_	_
7	rattling	rattle	VERB	VBG	Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Part	5	advcl	_	_
8	noise	noise	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	7	obj	_	SpaceAfter=No
9	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	5	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **is** | present | a clatter |  |  |  |  | loud *property* | tree rules |
| 2 | **rattle** | gerund | a clatter *not said here* | noise |  |  |  |  | vn animal\_sounds-38 «NP V NP.theme»: agent=Agent noise=Theme |

## Meaning 3 {#m3}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
To clatter somewhere is to move noisily («clatter down the stairs»).

<!-- fold The tree, 11 words -->
```conllu
# sent_id = dict:school:clatter:m3:1
# text = To clatter somewhere is to move noisily («clatter down the stairs»).
1	To	to	PART	TO	_	2	mark	_	_
2	clatter	clatter	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	6	advcl	_	_
3	somewhere	somewhere	ADV	RB	PronType=Ind	2	advmod	_	_
4	is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	6	cop	_	_
5	to	to	PART	TO	_	6	mark	_	_
6	move	move	VERB	VB	Mood=Imp|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
7	noisily	noisily	ADV	RB	_	6	advmod	_	_
8	(	(	PUNCT	-LRB-	_	10	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
9	«	«	PUNCT	``	_	10	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
10	clatter	clatter	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	6	obl	_	_
11	down	down	ADP	IN	_	13	case	_	_
12	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	13	det	_	_
13	stairs	stair	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	10	nmod	_	SpaceAfter=No
14	»	»	PUNCT	''	_	10	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
15	)	)	PUNCT	-RRB-	_	10	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
16	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	6	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **clatter** | to-infinitive |  |  |  |  |  | somewhere *property* | vn sound\_emission-43.2 «NP V»: agent=Theme |
| 2 | **is** | present |  |  |  |  |  | clatter down the stairs *obl*; move, noisily *property* | tree rules |

## Example 1 {#x1}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
The pans clattered to the floor.

```conllu
# sent_id = dict:school:clatter:x1:1
# text = The pans clattered to the floor.
1	The	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	2	det	_	_
2	pans	pan	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	3	nsubj	_	_
3	clattered	clatter	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
4	to	to	ADP	IN	_	6	case	_	_
5	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	6	det	_	_
6	floor	floor	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	obl	_	SpaceAfter=No
7	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	3	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **clatter** | past | the pans |  |  |  |  | to the floor | vn sound\_emission-43.2 «NP V»: agent=Theme |

## Example 2 {#x2}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
We heard the clatter of horses' hooves on the road.

```conllu
# sent_id = dict:school:clatter:x2:1
# text = We heard the clatter of horses' hooves on the road.
1	We	we	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Number=Plur|Person=1|PronType=Prs	2	nsubj	_	_
2	heard	hear	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=1|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
3	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	4	det	_	_
4	clatter	clatter	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	2	obj	_	_
5	of	of	ADP	IN	_	8	case	_	_
6	horses	horse	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	8	nmod:poss	_	SpaceAfter=No
7	'	's	PART	POS	_	6	case	_	_
8	hooves	hoove	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	4	nmod	_	_
9	on	on	ADP	IN	_	11	case	_	_
10	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	11	det	_	_
11	road	road	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	8	nmod	_	SpaceAfter=No
12	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	2	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **hear** | past | We | the clatter of horses's hooves on the road |  |  |  |  | vn see-30.1-1-1 «NP V S»: agent=Experiencer clatter=Stimulus |
| 2 | **clatter** |  | horses's hooves on the road |  |  |  |  |  | nom clatter «event intransitive»: of=agent |

## Example 3 {#x3}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
He clattered down the stairs in his boots.

```conllu
# sent_id = dict:school:clatter:x3:1
# text = He clattered down the stairs in his boots.
1	He	he	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Masc|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	2	nsubj	_	_
2	clattered	clatter	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
3	down	down	ADP	IN	_	5	case	_	_
4	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	5	det	_	_
5	stairs	stair	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	2	obl	_	_
6	in	in	ADP	IN	_	8	case	_	_
7	his	his	PRON	PRP$	Case=Gen|Gender=Masc|Number=Sing|Person=3|Poss=Yes|PronType=Prs	8	nmod:poss	_	_
8	boots	boot	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	2	obl	_	SpaceAfter=No
9	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	2	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **clatter** | past | He |  |  | his boots |  | down the stairs | vn sound\_emission-43.2 «NP V PP.location»: agent=Theme in boot=Location |

## Example 4 {#x4}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
The tray fell with a loud clatter.

```conllu
# sent_id = dict:school:clatter:x4:1
# text = The tray fell with a loud clatter.
1	The	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	2	det	_	_
2	tray	tray	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	nsubj	_	_
3	fell	fall	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
4	with	with	ADP	IN	_	7	case	_	_
5	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	7	det	_	_
6	loud	loud	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	7	amod	_	_
7	clatter	clatter	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	obl	_	SpaceAfter=No
8	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	3	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **fall** | past | the tray |  |  |  |  | with a loud clatter | vn occur-48.3 «NP V»: agent=Theme |

## Example 5 {#x5}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
The train clattered over the bridge.

```conllu
# sent_id = dict:school:clatter:x5:1
# text = The train clattered over the bridge.
1	The	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	2	det	_	_
2	train	train	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	0	root	_	_
3	clattered	clatter	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	2	acl	_	_
4	over	over	ADP	IN	_	6	case	_	_
5	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	6	det	_	_
6	bridge	bridge	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	obl	_	SpaceAfter=No
7	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	2	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **clatter** | participle |  | the train *not said here* |  | the bridge |  |  | vn sound\_emission-43.2 «NP V PP.location»: agent=Theme over bridge=Location |

## Example 6 {#x6}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
There was a clatter of cutlery in the dining hall.

```conllu
# sent_id = dict:school:clatter:x6:1
# text = There was a clatter of cutlery in the dining hall.
1	There	there	PRON	EX	PronType=Dem	2	expl	_	_
2	was	be	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
3	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	4	det	_	_
4	clatter	clatter	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	2	nsubj	_	_
5	of	of	ADP	IN	_	6	case	_	_
6	cutlery	cutlery	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	4	nmod	_	_
7	in	in	ADP	IN	_	10	case	_	_
8	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	10	det	_	_
9	dining	dining	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	10	compound	_	_
10	hall	hall	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	6	nmod	_	SpaceAfter=No
11	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	2	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **be** | past | a clatter of cutlery in the dining hall |  |  | there |  |  | vn exist-47.1 «NP V»: agent=Theme |
| 2 | **clatter** |  | cutlery in the dining hall |  |  |  |  |  | nom clatter «event intransitive»: of=agent |

## Example 7 {#x7}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
The bike clattered when the chain came off.

```conllu
# sent_id = dict:school:clatter:x7:1
# text = The bike clattered when the chain came off.
1	The	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	2	det	_	_
2	bike	bike	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	nsubj:pass	_	_
3	clattered	clatter	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	0	root	_	_
4	when	when	SCONJ	WRB	_	7	mark	_	_
5	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	6	det	_	_
6	chain	chain	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	7	nsubj	_	_
7	came	come	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	3	advcl	_	_
8	off	off	ADV	RB	_	7	advmod	_	SpaceAfter=No
9	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	3	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **clatter** | participle · passive |  | the bike |  |  |  |  | vn sound\_emission-43.2 «PP.location V NP»: subject=Theme |
| 2 | **come off** | past | the chain |  |  |  |  | off *property* | vn occur-48.3-2 «NP V ADV»: agent=Theme |

## Example 8 {#x8}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
They rushed clattering into the hut, exclaiming, ‘We smell human flesh!

<!-- fold The tree, 11 words -->
```conllu
# sent_id = dict:school:clatter:x8:1
# text = They rushed clattering into the hut, exclaiming, ‘We smell human flesh!
1	They	they	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Number=Plur|Person=3|PronType=Prs	2	nsubj	_	_
2	rushed	rush	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
3	clattering	clatter	VERB	VBG	VerbForm=Ger	2	xcomp	_	_
4	into	into	ADP	IN	_	6	case	_	_
5	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	6	det	_	_
6	hut	hut	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	obl	_	SpaceAfter=No
7	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	8	punct	_	_
8	exclaiming	exclaim	VERB	VBG	VerbForm=Ger	3	conj	_	SpaceAfter=No
9	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	12	punct	_	_
10	‘	'	PUNCT	``	_	12	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
11	We	we	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Number=Plur|Person=1|PronType=Prs	12	nsubj	_	_
12	smell	smell	VERB	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	8	conj	_	_
13	human	human	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	14	amod	_	_
14	flesh	flesh	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	12	obj	_	SpaceAfter=No
15	!	!	PUNCT	.	_	2	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **rush** | past | They |  |  |  |  |  | tree rules |
| 2 | **clatter** | gerund | They *not said here* |  |  | the hut |  |  | vn bump-18.4-1 «NP V PP.location»: agent=Theme into hut=Location |
| 3 | **exclaim** *speech: express* | gerund | They *not said here* |  |  |  |  |  | vn say-37.7-1 «NP V how S»: agent=Agent |
| 4 | **smell** | present | We | human flesh |  |  |  |  | vn see-30.1 «NP V NP»: agent=Experiencer flesh=Stimulus |

<!-- div src -->

**Text:** the school dictionary of Mova's schools (`world/data/dictionary-schools/`), written for Mova. **Trees:** Mova's own parse — the `en` model on the CPU, when the site is built — not checked by a teacher; they may be wrong. **Frames:** Mova's frames reader (`prag`), each meaning and example read on its own. Elamur Cosmic License.

<!-- /div -->

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