Rat-a-Tat-Tat
/ˌræt ə ˈtæt ˌtæt/noun
An imitation of a rapid, repeated knocking or drumming sound, often used as a noun, verb, or interjection.
Did you know?Unlike most words, Rat-a-Tat-Tat has no ancestral root in an older language: it belongs to the ancient human habit of turning sounds themselves into speech, a process called onomatopoeia.
Etymological Timeline
18th Century
English
rat-tat
“An imitative representation of a series of sharp knocks or taps.”
18th Century
English
rat-tat-tat
“An intensified form representing repeated knocking or drumming.”
19th Century
English
rat-a-tat
“A conventionalized spelling of the sound of rapid knocking.”
19th Century
English
rat-a-tat-tat
“A rhythmic sound imitation used in writing and speech for repeated beats.”
Modern English
English
rat-a-tat-tat
“A knocking, drumming, or gunfire-like sound, and the act of making such a sound.”