chatter
EnglishEdit
PronunciationEdit
Etymology 1Edit
From Middle English chateren, from earlier cheteren, chiteren (“to twitter, chatter, jabber”), of imitative origin. Compare Dutch schateren (“chatter”), schetteren, Dutch koeteren (“jabber”), dialectal German kaudern (“to gobble (like a turkey)”), Danish kvidre (“to twitter, chirp”).
NounEdit
chatter (uncountable)
- Talk, especially meaningless or unimportant talk.
- The sound of talking.
- The sound made by a magpie.
- An intermittent noise, as from vibration.
- Proper brake adjustment will help to reduce the chatter.
- In national security, the degree of communication between suspect groups and individuals, used to gauge the degree of expected terrorist activity.
- The NSA is concerned about increased chatter between known terror groups.
SynonymsEdit
- (talk, especially meaningless or unimportant talk): chattering, chatting, nattering
- See also Thesaurus:chatter
TranslationsEdit
talk, especially meaningless or unimportant talk
|
|
sound of talking
sound of a magpie
intermittent noise, as from vibration
degree of communication between suspects
|
- The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables, removing any numbers. Numbers do not necessarily match those in definitions. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout § Translations.
Translations to be checked
|
VerbEdit
chatter (third-person singular simple present chatters, present participle chattering, simple past and past participle chattered)
- (intransitive) To talk idly.
- They knitted and chattered the whole time.
- c. 1590–1592, William Shakespeare, “The Taming of the Shrew”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies: Published According to the True Originall Copies (First Folio), London: Printed by Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, OCLC 606515358, [Act IV, scene ii]:
- To tame a shrew, and charm her chattering tongue.
- (intransitive) Of teeth, machinery, etc, to make a noise by rapid collisions.
- He was so cold that his teeth were chattering.
- To utter sounds which somewhat resemble language, but are inarticulate and indistinct.
- 1815, William Wordsworth, Resolution and Independence
- The jay makes answer, as the magpie chatters with delight.
- 1815, William Wordsworth, Resolution and Independence
SynonymsEdit
TranslationsEdit
talk idly
|
|
make a chattering noise
|
to utter sounds that are largely inarticulate
|
Etymology 2Edit
NounEdit
chatter (plural chatters)
- one who chats
- (Internet) a user of chat rooms
- 2013, Michael K. Sullivan, Sexual Minorities, page 148:
- During the chat sessions, two outreach team members would engage in a conversation about the topic chosen for that event in the main chat room and entice other chatters to join in.
Further readingEdit
- chatter in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913.
- chatter in The Century Dictionary, The Century Co., New York, 1911.
- chatter at OneLook Dictionary Search