rattle
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rattle
(răt′l)n.
1. A rapid succession of short percussive sounds.
2. A device, such as a baby's toy, that produces short percussive sounds.
3. A rattling sound in the throat caused by obstructed breathing, especially near the time of death.
4. The series of horny structures at the end of a rattlesnake's tail.
The American Heritage® Medical Dictionary Copyright © 2007, 2004 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
rattle
EthnomedicineA device used in the Navajo and other Native American tribes to maintain rhythm during healing rituals.
Forensics
See Death rattle.
Paediatrics
An infant toy which, when shaken produces a rattling noise.
Segen's Medical Dictionary. © 2012 Farlex, Inc. All rights reserved.
rattle
(răt′l) [ME. ratelen, to rattle]A coarse crackle heard during auscultation of the chest. This finding suggests excessive airway secretions are present.
death rattle
A colloquial term for gurgling noises caused by movements of secretions in the upper airways with inspiration and expiration in dying patients.
Medical Dictionary, © 2009 Farlex and Partners