GNU Collaborative International Dictionary of English

last match results

Found 3 definitions

1.       
   Patter (?), v. i. [imp. & p. p. Pattered (?); p. pr. & vb. n. Pattering.] [Freq. of pat to strike gently.]
   1. To strike with a quick succession of slight, sharp sounds; as, “pattering rain or hail; pattering feet.”
   
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   The stealing shower is scarce to patter heard. Thomson.
   
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   2. To mutter; to mumble; as, “to patter with the lips”. Tyndale. [In this sense, and in the following, perh. from paternoster.]
   
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   3. To talk glibly; to chatter; to harangue. [Colloq.]
   
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   I've gone out and pattered to get money. Mayhew.
   
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2.       
   Patter, v. t.
   1. To spatter; to sprinkle. [R.] “And patter the water about the boat.”  J. R. Drake.
   
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   2. [See Patter, v. i., 2.] To mutter; as prayers.
   
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   [The hooded clouds] patter their doleful prayers. Longfellow.
   
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   To patter flash, to talk in thieves' cant. [Slang]
   
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3.       
   Patter, n.
   1. A quick succession of slight sounds; as, “the patter of rain; the patter of little feet.”
   
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   2. Glib and rapid speech; a voluble harangue.
   
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   3. The cant of a class; patois; as, “thieves's patter; gypsies' patter.”
   
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   4. The language or oratory of a street peddler, conjurer, or the like, hence, glib talk; a voluble harangue; mere talk; chatter; also, specif., rapid speech, esp. as sometimes introduced in songs. [Cant or Colloq.]
   
   [Webster 1913 Suppl.]