chatter
Use Chatter in a sentence
ər verb (used without object)
1.
to talk rapidly in a foolish or purposeless way; jabber.
2.
to utter a succession of quick, inarticulate, speechlike sounds, as monkeys or certain birds.
3.
to make a rapid clicking noise by striking together: His teeth were chattering from the cold.
4.
Machinery. (of a cutting tool or piece of metal) to vibrate during cutting so as to produce surface flaws on the work.
verb (used with object)
5.
to utter rapidly or purposelessly.
6.
to cause to chatter, as the teeth from cold.
00:10
Chatter
is one of our favorite verbs.
So is lollygag. Does it mean:
| to spend time idly; loaf. |
| to chew (food) slowly and thoroughly. |
noun
7.
purposeless or foolish talk.
8.
a series of waves or ridges on the surface of a piece of metal that has been imperfectly drawn or extruded.
9.
the act or sound of chattering.
10.
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:
1200–50; Middle English chateren; imitative
1200–50; Middle English chateren; imitative
Related forms
chat·ter·ing·ly, adverb
chat·ter·y, adjective
out·chat·ter, verb (used with object)
un·chat·ter·ing, adjective
Synonyms
2. clatter, click.
2. clatter, click.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
Cite This Source
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
Cite This Source
|
Link To chatter
Collins
World English Dictionary
chatter (ˈtʃætə) ![[Click for IPA pronunciation guide]](http://static.sfdict.com/dictstatic/g/d/dictionary_questionbutton_default.gif) | |
| —vb | |
| 1. | to speak (about unimportant matters) rapidly and incessantly; prattle |
| 2. | (intr) (of birds, monkeys, etc) to make rapid repetitive high-pitched noises resembling human speech |
| 3. | (intr) (of the teeth) to click together rapidly through cold or fear |
| 4. | (intr) to make rapid intermittent contact with a component, as in machining, causing irregular cutting |
| —n | |
| 5. | idle or foolish talk; gossip |
| 6. | the high-pitched repetitive noise made by a bird, monkey, etc |
| 7. | the rattling of objects, such as parts of a machine |
| 8. | Also called: chatter mark the undulating pattern of marks in a machined surface from the vibration of the tool or workpiece |
| [C13: of imitative origin] | |
| 'chattery | |
| —adj | |
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
Cite This Source
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
Cite This Source
Etymonline
Word Origin & History
chatter
early 13c., chateren "to twitter, gossip," earlier cheateren, chiteren, of echoic origin.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
Cite This Source
Cite This Source
Example sentences
Everything should run faster when the pipes aren't clogged by constant chatter between your computer and a distant database.
Chatter among the males, which have elongated snouts, isn't always friendly.
The cell-phone offender scooted into the hall as the chatter in the room grew louder.
Their chatter, often mistaken for that of a bird, resonates through the forests.
Nearby Words
Copyright © 2013 Dictionary.com, LLC. All rights reserved.
