rataplan

American

[rat-uh-plan] / ˌræt əˈplæn /

noun

a sound of or as of the beating of a drum.

verb (used without object)

rataplanned, rataplanning

to produce such a sound.

rataplan British

/ ˌrætəˈplæn /

noun

a drumming sound

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of rataplan

1840–50; < French; imitative

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.

I had a moment of triumph also when we sang the Rataplan, rataplan.

From Project Gutenberg

Let Honor beat the rataplan and Duty quick obey— Make “yea” an instant Tagerman, and “no” at once a Ney!

From Project Gutenberg

Drums were bought by subscription, and in the armoury down under the School tattoo and rataplan voiced the martial spirit of St. James'.

From Project Gutenberg

He kept his eyes riveted on me as he spoke, and then seizing two pieces of stick from the firewood, he beat on the table the rataplan of the French drum.

From Project Gutenberg

It was the rataplan beating before a troop of wrestlers and jugglers who were traversing the Marche and Reggio Emilia.

From Project Gutenberg

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023