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Patter   /pˈætər/   Listen
noun
Patter  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.
4.
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.)


verb
Patter  v. t.  
1.
To spatter; to sprinkle. (R.) "And patter the water about the boat."
2.
To mutter; as prayers. "(The hooded clouds) patter their doleful prayers."
To patter flash, to talk in thieves' cant. (Slang)


Patter  v. i.  (past & past part. pattered; pres. part. pattering)  
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."
2.
To mutter; to mumble; as, to patter with the lips.
3.
To talk glibly; to chatter; to harangue. (Colloq.) "I've gone out and pattered to get money."





Collaborative International Dictionary of English 0.48


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"Patter" Quotes from Famous Books



... very well with the soft patter of her feet till they reached the foot of the staircase. "There, there, child," he said, "there's not the least need of ...
— Five Little Peppers Midway • Margaret Sidney
... between watching her and a dense black cloud which had appeared in the west, and was fast approaching the zenith. I was just thinking how nice it would be if the rain should drive her to our house for shelter, when patter, patter came the large drops in my face; thicker and faster they fell, until it seemed like a perfect deluge; and through the almost blinding sheet of rain I descried Nellie coming toward me at a furious ...
— Homestead on the Hillside • Mary Jane Holmes
... spot of the accident, but Irene was tugging desperately at the huge windlass, slowly winding up the heavy bucket, moaning all the while in a distracted undertone, while tears of fright trickled down her dirty face. So busy was she that she never heard the patter of Tabitha's feet behind her, and the first intimation she had of help at hand was when the older girl jerked her back from the mouth of the shaft, released the half-raised bucket, and sent it hurtling back into the ...
— Tabitha's Vacation • Ruth Alberta Brown
... smouldering scandal blazed—but he, My king, to the last put trust in me— Aye, well was his trust requited! Now priests may patter, and bells may toll, He will need no masses to aid his soul; When the angels open the judgment scroll, His ...
— Poems • Adam Lindsay Gordon
... truth. Astern he might tow a small wife-boat, as a mariner should, with its passenger capacity carefully stamped on the bottom. And instead of Columbus, a honey-fed spirit of dream should stand in his prow and adjure him to sail on, to dreamland. "Dream on, dream on, dream on," she should patter, each time he grew restless. I could not take a turn in the prow myself, it would be too much honor; but I should be glad to take my stand in the gentleman's rear, and do all I could to accelerate ...
— The Crow's Nest • Clarence Day, Jr.


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