rattle the bones
In real, traceable use. Part of the curated seed collection; community review is coming.
Meaning · English
To play dice.
Register: slang
Where it’s used:
Used
American English
Examples
Little Mr. Crow shook the dice up and down in his balled hands so long that the Butcher growled "Come on! Come on! Get done, man!" He continued to rattle the bones between his palms, and the Butchers red face twisted up into a scowl.
Usage example from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-07-30)
Sources & notes
Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-07-30 via kaikki.org).
Common questions
What does “rattle the bones” mean?
To play dice.
Is “rattle the bones” formal or informal?
rattle the bones is generally slang.