patter
American Heritage Dictionary:
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pat·ter1
(păt'ər) 
v., -tered, -ter·ing, -ters. v.intr.
To cause to patter.
n.
A quick succession of light soft tapping sounds: the patter of rain on the rooftops.
pat·ter2 (păt'ər)
v., -tered, -ter·ing, -ters. v.intr.
To utter in a glib, rapid, or mechanical manner.
n.
v., -tered, -ter·ing, -ters. v.intr.
- To make a quick succession of light soft tapping sounds: Rain pattered steadily against the glass.
- To move with quick, light, softly audible steps.
To cause to patter.
n.
A quick succession of light soft tapping sounds: the patter of rain on the rooftops.
[Frequentative of PAT1.]
pat·ter2 (păt'ər)
v., -tered, -ter·ing, -ters. v.intr.
- To speak or chatter glibly and rapidly.
- To mumble prayers in a mechanical manner.
To utter in a glib, rapid, or mechanical manner.
n.
- The jargon of a particular group; cant.
- Glib rapid speech, as of an auctioneer, salesperson, or comedian.
- Meaningless talk; chatter.
[Middle English pateren, shortening and alteration of paternoster, paternoster (from the mechanical and rapid recitation of the prayer). See paternoster.]
patterer pat'ter·er n.Antonyms by Answers.com:
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patter
n
Definition: casual talk
Antonyms: quiet, silence
v
Definition: gab, chatter
Antonyms: be silent
Word Tutor:
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patter
IN BRIEF: To mumble something over and over.
We all need somebody to talk to. It would be good if we talked to each other — not just pitter-patter, but real talk.
— Liv Ullmann.
LearnThatWord.com is a free vocabulary and spelling program where you only pay for results!
Random House Word Menu:
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categories related to 'patter'
- Gaits - patter: move as though on little feet, making a light noise
- Modes and Manners of Expression - patter: speak rapidly and mechanically; employ the glib, rapid speech of salesman or comedian
- Descriptions of Sounds
- Speech Sounds
See crossword solutions for the clue Wikipedia on Answers.com:
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Patter
For other uses, see Patter (disambiguation).
Patter is a prepared and practiced speech, that is designed to produce a desired response from its audience. Examples of occupations with a patter might include the: auctioneer, salesperson, dance caller, or comedian.
The term was originally a colloquial shortening of "Pater Noster" and referred to the practice of mouthing or mumbling prayers quickly and mechanically, without any expression of meaning or sincerity.
From this, it became a slang word for the secret and equally incomprehensible mutterings of a cant language used by beggars, thieves, Roma people, etc., and then the fluent plausible talk that a cheap-jack employs to pass off his goods. Many illusionists, e.g., card magicians use patter both to enhance the show and to distract the attention of the spectators.
It is thus also used of any rapid manner of talking, and of a patter-song, in which a very large number of words have to be sung at high speed to fit them to the music. A western square dance caller may interpolate patter — in the form of metrical lines, often of nonsense — to fill in between commands to the dancers.[1]
In some circumstances, the talk becomes a different sense of "patter": to make a series of rapid strokes or pats, as of raindrops. Here it a form of onomatopeia.
In certain forms of entertainment, peep shows (in the historical meaning) and Russian rayok, patter is an important component of a show. The radio DJ patter is among the roots of rapping.
In hypnotherapy, the hypnotist uses a 'patter' or script to deliver positive suggestions for change to the client.
In London Labour and the London Poor, Henry Mayhew divides the street-sellers of his time into two groups: the patterers, and everyone else.[2]
References
- ^ Square Dance Patter Sayings Vic & Debbie Ceder's Square Dance Resource Net.
- ^ "The Gentleman Grafter" by Howard Kaplan, May 2006. Vanity Fair
This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Chisholm, Hugh, ed (1911). "Patter". Encyclopædia Britannica (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press.
This entry is from Wikipedia, the leading user-contributed encyclopedia. It may not have been reviewed by professional editors (see full disclaimer)
Translations:
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Patter
Dansk (Danish)
1.
v. intr. - tromme
n. - trommen
2.
n. - snakke
v. intr. - plapre, snakke rivende hurtigt
v. tr. - sige noget hurtigt, mumle bønner
Nederlands (Dutch)
kletteren, afraffelen, babbelen, trippelen, (verkoop)praatje, geklets, jargon, tekst (van komediant/grappig lied), taaltje, gekletter
Français (French)
1.
v. intr. - cliqueter, trottiner, crépiter (la pluie, la grêle)
n. - crépitement, bruit de pas rapides et légers
2.
n. - faconde, discours lent et continu, baratin, boniment
v. intr. - jacasser, réciter machinalement (une prière)
v. tr. - dire (qch) vite et machinalement
Deutsch (German)
1.
v. - trippeln, prasseln
n. - Getrippel, Prasseln, Fachjargon
2.
n. - Geplapper
v. - schwatzen, plappern
Ελληνική (Greek)
n. - συνεχή ελαφρά χτυπήματα, ήχος ελαφρών βημάτων, γρήγορη απαγγελία τυποποιημένων φράσεων, "ποιηματάκι", "παραμύθι"
v. - πολυλογώ, φλυαρώ, χτυπώ ελαφρά και συνεχώς, περπατώ με γρήγορα ελαφρά βήματα
Italiano (Italian)
borbottare, gergo
Português (Portuguese)
n. - barulho de chuva (m), sapateado (m), tagarelice (f)
v. - tamborilar, tagarelar
Русский (Russian)
барабанить, жаргон, бормотание, постукивание
Español (Spanish)
1.
v. intr. - tamborilear, andar con paso ligero
n. - golpeteo, tamborileo
2.
n. - charloteo, jerga
v. intr. - charlar, hacer ruidos ligeros y acompasados, rezar de prisa, hablar en jerga
v. tr. - charlar, provocar un tamborileo
Svenska (Swedish)
n. - smattrande, trippande, pladder, svada
v. - smattra, tassa, rabbla, pladdra
中文（简体）(Chinese (Simplified))
1. 啪嗒啪嗒地响, 啪嗒啪嗒地走, 轻轻拍打, 使发嗒嗒声, 喋喋不休地说, 啪嗒啪嗒的声音
2. 喋喋不休, 喋喋不休地说, 行话, 连珠炮似的话, 黑话, 切口, 急口词
中文（繁體）(Chinese (Traditional))
1.
v. intr. - 啪嗒啪嗒地響, 啪嗒啪嗒地走, 輕輕拍打
v. tr. - 使發嗒嗒聲, 喋喋不休地說
n. - 啪嗒啪嗒的聲音
2.
v. intr. - 喋喋不休
v. tr. - 喋喋不休地說
n. - 行話, 連珠炮似的話, 黑話, 切口, 急口詞
한국어 (Korean)
1.
v. intr. - 후두둑 떨어지다, 또닥또닥 소리가 나다
n. - 후두두(빗소리), 또닥또닥 (발소리)
2.
n. - 재잘거리는 소리, 쓸데 없는 이야기, 은어
v. intr. - 재잘대다, 은어를 지껄이다
v. tr. - (주문 등을) 빠른 말로 외다
日本語 (Japanese)
v. - パラパラと降る, 早口にしゃべる
n. - パタパタという音, 符諜, 早口, おあつらえむきの, うまく
العربيه (Arabic)
(الاسم) طقطقه, وقع خطوات الأطفال, عبارات خاصه يرددها الحاوي, قرع, كلام مشوق (فعل) يدمدم, يتمت, يطقطق
עברית (Hebrew)
v. intr. - גרם לנקישות חוזרות (של טיפות מים וכו')
n. - צעדים קצרים ומהירים, רצף נקישות מהירות
n. - תמליל של שיר מצחיק או אמירתו המהירה, הכרזת מוכר על סחורתו, משלב - עגה לשונית של מקצוע או מעמד מסוים, דיבור רצוף מהיר ושוטף
v. intr. - דיבר בשטף או באופן מכני
v. tr. - מילמל תפילה
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