Category:Patter

Pat"ter, v. i. [imp. & p. p. Pattered; p. pr. & vb. n. Pattering.] Etym: [freq. of pat to strike gently.]

1. To strike with a quick succession of slight, sharp sounds; as, Pattering rain or hail; pattering feet. The stealing shower is scarce to patter heard. Thomson.

2. To mutter; to mumble; as, to patter with the lips. Tyndale. Etym: [in this sense, and in the following, perh. from paternoster.]

3. To talk glibly; to chatter; to harangue. [colloq.] I've gone out and pattered to get money. Mayhew.

Patter Pat"ter, v. t.

1. To spatter; to sprinkle. [r.] "and patter the water about the Boat." J. R. Drake.

2. Etym: [see patter, v. i., 2.]

Defn: to mutter; as prayers. [the hooded clouds] patter their doleful prayers. Longfellow. To patter flash, to talk in thieves' cant. [slang]

Patter Pat"ter, n.

1. A quick succession of slight sounds; as, the patter of rain; the Patter of little feet.

2. Glib and rapid speech; a voluble harangue.

3. The cant of a class; patois; as, thieves's patter; gypsies' Patter.