Adjacent Words

Chatter definitions

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Webster's 1828 Dictionary

CHATTER, v.i. [See Chat.]
1. To utter sounds rapidly and indistinctly, as a magpie, or a monkey.
2. To make a noise by collision of the teeth. We say, the teeth chatter, when one is chilly and shivering.
3. To talk idly, carelessly or rapidly; to jabber.
CHATTER, n. Sounds like those of a pie or monkey; idle talk.

WordNet (r) 3.0 (2005)

n
1: noisy talk [syn: yak, yack, yakety-yak, chatter, cackle]
2: the rapid series of noises made by the parts of a machine [syn: chatter, chattering]
3: the high-pitched continuing noise made by animals (birds or monkeys) [syn: chatter, chattering] v
1: click repeatedly or uncontrollably; "Chattering teeth" [syn: chatter, click]
2: cut unevenly with a chattering tool
3: talk socially without exchanging too much information; "the men were sitting in the cafe and shooting the breeze" [syn: chew the fat, shoot the breeze, chat, confabulate, confab, chitchat, chit-chat, chatter, chaffer, natter, gossip, jaw, claver, visit]
4: speak (about unimportant matters) rapidly and incessantly [syn: chatter, piffle, palaver, prate, tittle- tattle, twaddle, clack, maunder, prattle, blab, gibber, tattle, blabber, gabble]
5: make noise as if chattering away; "The magpies were chattering in the trees"

Merriam Webster's

I. verb Etymology: Middle English chatteren, of imitative origin Date: 13th century intransitive verb 1. to utter rapid short sounds suggestive of language but inarticulate and indistinct <squirrels chattered angrily> 2. to talk idly, incessantly, or fast 3. a. to click repeatedly or uncontrollably <teeth chattering with cold> b. to vibrate rapidly in cutting <a chattering tool> c. to vibrate especially audibly as a consequence of repeated sticking and slipping <chattering brakes> transitive verb to utter rapidly, idly, or indistinctly • chatterer noun • chattery adjective II. noun Date: 13th century 1. the action or sound of chattering 2. idle talk ; prattle

Oxford Reference Dictionary

v. & n. --v.intr. 1 talk quickly, incessantly, trivially, or indiscreetly. 2 (of a bird) emit short quick notes. 3 (of the teeth) click repeatedly together (usu. from cold). 4 (of a tool) clatter from vibration. --n. 1 chattering talk or sounds. 2 the vibration of a tool. Derivatives: chatterer n. chattery adj. Etymology: ME: imit.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Chatter Chat"ter, v. i. [imp. & p. p. Chattered; p. pr. & vb. n. Chattering.] [Of imitative origin. Cf. Chat, v. i. Chitter.] 1. To utter sounds which somewhat resemble language, but are inarticulate and indistinct. The jaw makes answer, as the magpie chatters. --Wordsworth. 2. To talk idly, carelessly, or with undue rapidity; to jabber; to prate. To tame a shrew, and charm her chattering tongue. --Shak. 3. To make a noise by rapid collisions. With chattering teeth, and bristling hair upright. --Dryden.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Chatter Chat"ter, v. t. To utter rapidly, idly, or indistinctly. Begin his witless note apace to chatter. --Spenser.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Chatter Chat"ter, n. 1. Sounds like those of a magpie or monkey; idle talk; rapid, thoughtless talk; jabber; prattle. Your words are but idle and empty chatter. --Longfellow. 2. Noise made by collision of the teeth, as in shivering.

Collin's Cobuild Dictionary

(chatters, chattering, chattered) 1. If you chatter, you talk quickly and continuously, usually about things which are not important. Everyone's chattering away in different languages... Erica was friendly and chattered about Andrew's children... He listened to chattering maids as they passed by. VERB: V adv/prep, V about n, V-ing, also V • Chatter is also a noun. ...idle chatter... Lila kept up a steady stream of chatter. 2. If your teeth chatter, they keep knocking together because you are very cold or very nervous. She was so cold her teeth chattered. VERB: V 3. When birds or animals chatter, they make high-pitched noises. (LITERARY) Birds were chattering somewhere. VERB: V • Chatter is also a noun. ...almond trees vibrating with the chatter of crickets. N-UNCOUNT: usu the N of n

International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

chat'-er (tsaphaph): This word, which means to "peep," "twitter" or "chirp," as small birds do, is translated "chatter" only in Isa 38:14, "Like a swallow or a crane, so did I chatter."

See CHIRP.

Soule's Dictionary of English Synonyms

I. v. n. Prattle, chat, gossip, talk idly, talk freely. See prate. II. n. Chat, prattle, babble, gabble. See prate and balderdash.

Moby Thesaurus

accents, babble, babblement, bavardage, be cold, bibble-babble, blab, blabber, blah-blah, blather, blether, blethers, bob, bobble, bounce, brattle, bull, bump, cackle, call, caquet, caqueterie, carol, caw, chaffer, chat, chattering, cheep, chill, chirk, chirp, chirr, chirrup, chitchat, chitter, chitter-chatter, chuck, clack, clacket, clatter, clatter about, clitter, clitterclatter, cluck, clunter, cock-a-doodle-doo, comment, conversation, converse, coo, croak, cronk, crow, cuckoo, declaim, didder, discourse, dither, drag out, draw out, drum, elocution, extend, falter, fill out, freeze, freeze to death, gab, gabble, gaggle, gas, gibber, gibble-gabble, go on, gobble, gossip, grow cold, guff, guggle, gush, have a chill, have an ague, have goose pimples, haver, honk, hoo, hoot, horripilate, hot air, hustle, idle talk, jabber, jabbering, jactitate, jar, jaw, jog, joggle, jolt, jostle, jounce, jump, language, lose heat, mere talk, mouth, natter, never finish, nonsense talk, oral communication, pad, palaver, parole, patter, peep, perish with cold, perorate, pip, pipe, pour forth, prate, prating, prattle, prittle-prattle, protract, quack, quake, quaver, quiver, racket, ramble on, rapping, rattle, rattle around, rattle on, rattletybang, rattling, reel off, roll, ruckle, run on, run out, scold, shake, shiver, shock, shudder, sing, small talk, speak, speak at length, speaking, speech, spin out, spout, spout off, squawk, stretch out, string out, stultiloquence, talk, talk away, talk nonsense, talk on, talkee-talkee, talking, tittle-tattle, tremble, trill, twaddle, twattle, tweet, twit, twitter, vibrate, waffle, wag the tongue, warble, whistle, wobble, words, yak, yakkety-yak, yakking, yammer