Crossword Dictionary

What's The Definition Of Patter?

\Pat"ter\, n. The language or oratory of a street peddler, conjurer, or the like, hence, glib talk; a voluble harangue; mere talk; chatter; also, specif., rapid speech, esp. as sometimes introduced in songs. [Cant or Colloq.]
\Pat"ter\, v. i. [imp. & p. p. {Pattered}; p. pr. & vb. n. {Pattering}.] [Freq. of pat to strike gently.] 1. To strike with a quick succession of slight, sharp sounds; as, pattering rain or hail; pattering feet. The stealing shower is scarce to patter heard. --Thomson. 2. To mutter; to mumble; as, to patter with the lips. --Tyndale. [In this sense, and in the following, perh. from paternoster.] 3. To talk glibly; to chatter; to harangue. [Colloq.] I've gone out and pattered to get money. --Mayhew.
\Pat"ter\, v. t. 1. To spatter; to sprinkle. [R.] ``And patter the water about the boat.'' --J. R. Drake. 2. [See {Patter}, v. i., 2.] To mutter; as prayers. [The hooded clouds] patter their doleful prayers. --Longfellow. {To patter flash}, to talk in thieves' cant. [Slang]
\Pat"ter\, n. 1. A quick succession of slight sounds; as, the patter of rain; the patter of little feet. 2. Glib and rapid speech; a voluble harangue. 3. The cant of a class; patois; as, thieves's patter; gypsies' patter.