Dictionary
Words, grammatical forms and meanings linked to the ontology.
sabre-rattling en · ADJ
Pronunciation
Etymology
From the early 20th century, when an officer would threaten to draw his sabre.
Meanings
-
Bellicose; threatening military action.
But it excited much discontent in sabre-rattling court circles which regarded Austrophilia as the most un-French of diplomatic perversions.
2002, Colin Jones, The Great Nation, Penguin, published 2003, page 121:
Forms
Relateds
rattle one's sabre · rattle · rattle the sabre · rattle the saber · rattle a sabre · sabre · rattling · saber-rattle · rattle a saber · saber · rattle one's saber · sabring · sabre-rattle · sabering · sabre rattle · saber rattle
sabre-rattling en · NOUN
Pronunciation
Etymology
From the early 20th century, when an officer would threaten to draw his sabre.
Meanings
-
(countable, idiomatic, uncountable) A flamboyant display of military power as an implied threat that it might be used.
-
(countable, figuratively, idiomatic, uncountable) Any threat, such as one company threatening another with a lawsuit.
Forms
Relateds
gunboat diplomacy
Translations (19)
es ruido de sables (display of military power as an implied threat) · cmn 耀武揚威 /耀武扬威 (display of military power as an implied threat) · sv sabelskrammel (display of military power as an implied threat) · pl pobrzękiwanie szabelką (display of military power as an implied threat) · uk брязкоті́ння збро́єю (display of military power as an implied threat) · ja 威嚇的な武力 (display of military power as an implied threat) · fr bruits de bottes (display of military power as an implied threat) · hu kardcsörtetés (display of military power as an implied threat) · de Säbelrasseln (display of military power as an implied threat) · fi sapelinkalistelu (display of military power as an implied threat) · de Säbelrasseln (figuratively: any threat) · nl wapengekletter (display of military power as an implied threat) · ru бряца́ние ору́жием (display of military power as an implied threat) · fi sapelinkalistelu (figuratively: any threat) · be бра́зганне збро́яй (display of military power as an implied threat) · it tintinnar(e) di sciabole (display of military power as an implied threat) · bg дръ́нкане на оръ́жие (display of military power as an implied threat) · cmn 炫耀武力 (display of military power as an implied threat) · nl sabelgekletter (display of military power as an implied threat)
sabre-rattling en · VERB
Pronunciation
Etymology
From the early 20th century, when an officer would threaten to draw his sabre.
Meanings
-
(form-of, gerund, participle, present) present participle and gerund of sabre-rattle
Forms