chatter
to talk rapidly in a foolish or purposeless way; jabber.
to utter a succession of quick, inarticulate, speechlike sounds, as monkeys or certain birds.
to make a rapid clicking noise by striking together: His teeth were chattering from the cold.
Machinery. (of a cutting tool or piece of metal) to vibrate during cutting so as to produce surface flaws on the work.
to utter rapidly or purposelessly.
to cause to chatter, as the teeth from cold.
purposeless or foolish talk.
a series of waves or ridges on the surface of a piece of metal that has been imperfectly drawn or extruded.
the act or sound of chattering.
online, phone, radio, or other electronic communication among people, often involving a harmful political activity such as espionage or terrorism: Officials were able to intercept and identify a high level of terrorist chatter in the weeks before the bombing attempt.
Origin of chatter
1Other words for chatter
Other words from chatter
- chat·ter·ing·ly, adverb
- chat·ter·y, adjective
- outchatter, verb (used with object)
- un·chat·ter·ing, adjective
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024
How to use chatter in a sentence
The audience chatters and cheers; the music reverberates off the rafters.
The Band’s ‘Rock of Ages’ Is the Greatest Live Album Ever | Andrew Romano | October 14, 2013 | THE DAILY BEASTShe has been with us a great deal—she has no idea what is going on—and I can't honestly say that she chatters any less than usual.
Confidence | Henry JamesHe was much like the jay that always chatters but seldom says anything worth the listening, and he was given to spasms of rage.
Rescue Dog of the High Pass | James Arthur KjelgaardAfter that the wire chatters constantly; there are a thousand orders to be given, a thousand details to be arranged.
The Modern Railroad | Edward HungerfordHe generally, however, chatters angrily at some one else when my mother removes anything he wishes to keep.
Animal Intelligence | George J. Romanes
Chatters like a magpie over the superior glories of New York, but is honestly pleased after all.
A Romance of Toronto | Annie Gregg Savigny
British Dictionary definitions for chatter
/ (ˈtʃætə) /
to speak (about unimportant matters) rapidly and incessantly; prattle
(intr) (of birds, monkeys, etc) to make rapid repetitive high-pitched noises resembling human speech
(intr) (of the teeth) to click together rapidly through cold or fear
(intr) to make rapid intermittent contact with a component, as in machining, causing irregular cutting
idle or foolish talk; gossip
the high-pitched repetitive noise made by a bird, monkey, etc
the rattling of objects, such as parts of a machine
Also called: chatter mark the undulating pattern of marks in a machined surface from the vibration of the tool or workpiece
Origin of chatter
1Derived forms of chatter
- chattery, adjective
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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