pit-a-pat

See also: pitapat

English

Alternative forms

• pit a pat, pitapat, pit-pat, pitpat, pitter-pat, pitterpat

Etymology

Imitative.

Interjection

pit-a-pat

1. Representing a series of quick tapping sounds.
   • 1900 May, Frederic Villiers, “Twenty Years on the War Path. […] VII.—“My Friend Corporal Tonbar.””, in The Canadian Magazine of Politics, Science, Art and Literature, volume XV, number 1, Toronto, Ont.: The Ontario Publishing Co., Ltd., page 40, column 2:

     Pit-a-pat, pit-a-pat, the bullets kept falling and stirring up little puffs of dust on the open ground in front of the zeriba.

   • [1921], Aimee Semple McPherson, Divine Healing Sermons, [Los Angeles, Calif.], →OCLC, page thirteen:

     “Pit-a-pat! Pit-a-pat!”—On go the thousands of feet; on to the movie and on to the dance; on to the office, the club and the bank.

   • 2004, Julia Donaldson, “The Mouse and the Lion”, in Crazy Mayonnaisy Mum, Macmillan Children’s Books, published 2005, →ISBN, page 4:

     Pit-a-pat, pit-a-pat, pit-a-pat, pit-a-pat, / He danced on the whiskery nose.

Verb

pit-a-pat (third-person singular simple present pit-a-pats, present participle pit-a-patting, simple past and past participle pit-a-patted)

1. To make a series of quick tapping sounds; to palpitate

Noun

pit-a-pat (plural pit-a-pats)

1. A series of quick tapping sounds

Adverb

pit-a-pat (not comparable)

1. With a quick tapping sound
   • 1842–1845, Robert Browning, “[Dramatic Romances and Lyrics.] The Pied Piper of Hamelin; a Child’s Story. […].”, in Poems […], new edition, volume II, London: Chapman & Hall, […], published 1849, →OCLC, stanza IV, page 308:

     “Only a scraping of shoes on the mat? / “Anything like the sound of a rat / “Makes my heart go pit-a-pat!”

Adjective

pit-a-pat

1. Characterized by quick tapping sounds; palpitating.
   • 1810, [anonymous] […], chapter XXVII, in Splendid Follies. A Novel, […]. Founded on Facts., volume III, London: […] J[ames] F[letcher] Hughes, […], →OCLC, page 109:

     The chesnut ringlets were speedily twitched from the confining paper, her Sunday hat, gown, and neckerchief bustled on in a moment, and wondering what he would say, and how she should feel and behave on the trying occasion, she descended with a pit-a-pat heart, and a cheek covered with burning blushes.

   • 1830 February 4, The Maryland Gazette‎^[1], volume LXXXV, number 5, Annapolis, Md.:

     The pit-a-pat heart of a susceptible girl of sixteen, tells her that a gentleman is a tall fellow with a fine military cap on his head; […]

   • a. 1856, Henry Anderton, “To the same [Little Hannah]”, in The Temperance and Other Poems of the Late Henry Anderton, […], Preston, Lancs: […] W. and J. Dobson, […], published 1863, page 97:

     Dear Hannah—you learn from your aunt to conceal / The things that your parents do bid you reveal— / ’Tis true, I am Henry, and Anderton, too, / But that’s not an answer expected from you— / You, yesterday, called me a very dear name, / Which set my poor pit-a-pat heart in a flame: / Speak! am I your “uncle?” The truth I would know; / I wonder who taught you to speak to me so!

Related terms

• pitter-patter

Anagrams

• apitpat