clatter
verb (used without object)
to make a loud, rattling sound, as that produced by hard objects striking rapidly one against the other.
had been clattering
-
past perfect progressiveof clatter.past perfect progressive
Used to describe an action that was ongoing continuously in the past up until another past event interrupted it.
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
After a pause of five minutes or so—during which time the knives and forks had been clattering pretty vigorously, and the trout had become a miserable skeleton—the captain resumed his discourse.
From Hudson Bay by R. M. (Robert Michael) Ballantyne
