English Explanatory Dictionary

chatter

English dictionary entry

Meanings

noun
  1. Talk, especially meaningless or unimportant talk.
  2. The sound of talking.
  3. The vocalisations of a Eurasian magpie, Pica pica.
  4. The vocalisations of various birds or other animals.
  5. An intermittent noise, as from vibration.
  6. In national security, the degree of communication between suspect groups and individuals, used to gauge the degree of expected terrorist activity.
  7. The situation where a drill or similar tool vibrates and tears the material rather than cutting it cleanly.
verb
  1. To talk idly.
  2. To make a noise by rapid collisions.
  3. To utter sounds which somewhat resemble language, but are inarticulate and indistinct.
noun
  1. One who chats.
  2. A user of livestream chat.
  3. A user of chat rooms.

Pronunciation

/ˈtʃætə/ chătʹər /ˈt͡ʃætɚ/ LL-Q1860 (eng)-Vealhurl-chatter.wav

Word forms

chatter chatters chattering chattered

Etymology

Etymology tree Middle English cheteren, chiteren (Imitative)der. Middle English chateren English chatter From Middle English chateren, from earlier cheteren, chiteren (“to twitter, chatter, jabber”), of imitative origin. Compare Saterland Frisian tjoaterje (“to chatter”), West Frisian tsjotterje (“to chatter”), Dutch schateren, schetteren (“chatter”), Dutch koeteren (“jabber”), Middle Low German kidderen (“to chatter”), German Low German queteln (“to chatter”), dialectal German kaudern (“to gobble (like a turkey)”), Danish kvidre (“to twitter, chirp”).

Synonyms

babble bavardage bibble-babble blab blabber blabbing blather blathering chatter chinwag chit-chat claver clepe gabble hot air mardle natter palaver prate prattle scuttlebutt small talk tattle twaddle waffle yackety-yak yap yatter chattering chatting nattering chat clatter gnash grind pink

Related words

chatterbox talkative nonsense

Derived words

antichatter chatterati chatteration chatterbag chatter-basket chatterbot chatterbox chatterish chatter ring chattersome chitter-chatter cyberchatter roof-brain chatter achatter chatterer chatter mark chattery outchatter
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