noisemaker

English

Etymology

From noise +‎ maker.

Noun

noisemaker (plural noisemakers)

1. A person or device that produces a great deal of noise, especially one used in a celebration or sporting event.
   • 1985 April 6, Stephanie Poggi, “Women Against Apartheid”, in Gay Community News, page 2:

     Women will gather at Filenes with pots and pans as noise-makers and march to Deak-Perera, a firm which sells the South African gold coin.

   • 1999 April 5, William Safire, “Essay; The Quiet Noisemaker”, in The New York Times‎^[1]:

     Before long, the unsuspecting salesman was earnestly pitching him "the quietest noisemaker on the market."

   • 2014 June 13, Daniel Engber, “Who Made That Inflatable Noisemaker?”, in The New York Times‎^[2]:

     The noisemakers spread from soccer to the N.B.A. and other sports.

2. A device comprising a handle with a ratchet at one end, with the ratchet end contained within a box that serves as an echo chamber, so that swinging or moving the device causes the ratchet to rotate within the box, creating a series of loud clicking sounds

Synonyms

• (device with ratchet): ratchet

Hyponyms

• (device for making noise at events): air horn, blowout, caxirola, clacker, clapper, kazoo, party horn, ratchet, squawker, squeaker, stadium horn, stadium trumpet, vuvuzela