chatter

English

Pronunciation
  • (UK) IPA(key): /ˈtʃætə/
  • (US) enPR: chătʹər, IPA(key): /ˈtʃætɚ/
  • Rhymes: -ætə(r)

Etymology 1

From Middle English chateren, from earlier cheteren, chiteren (“to twitter, chatter, jabber”), of imitative origin. Compare Flemish schateren (“chatter”), schetteren, Dutch koeteren (“jabber”), dialectal German kaudern (“to gobble (like a turkey)”), Danish kvidre (“to twitter, chirp”).

Noun

chatter (uncountable)

  1. Talk, especially meaningless or unimportant talk.
  2. The sound of talking.
  3. The sound made by a magpie.
  4. An intermittent noise, as from vibration.
    Proper brake adjustment will help to reduce the chatter.
  5. In national security, the degree of communication between suspect groups and individuals, used to gauge the degree of expected terrorist activity.
    The NSA is concerned about increased chatter between known terror groups.
Synonyms
Translations
The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables, removing any numbers. Numbers do not necessarily match those in definitions. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout#Translations.
Translations to be checked

Verb

chatter (third-person singular simple present chatters, present participle chattering, simple past and past participle chattered)

  1. (intransitive) To talk idly.
    They knitted and chattered the whole time.
    • Shakespeare
      To tame a shrew, and charm her chattering tongue.
  2. (intransitive) Of teeth, machinery, etc, to make a noise by rapid collisions.
    He was so cold that his teeth were chattering.
  3. To utter sounds which somewhat resemble language, but are inarticulate and indistinct.
    • Wordsworth
      The jaw makes answer, as the magpie chatters.
Synonyms
Translations

Etymology 2

chat +‎ -er

Noun

chatter (plural chatters)

  1. one who chats
  2. (Internet) a user of chat rooms
    • 2013, Michael K. Sullivan, Sexual Minorities, page 148:
      During the chat sessions, two outreach team members would engage in a conversation about the topic chosen for that event in the main chat room and entice other chatters to join in.

Further reading
  • chatter in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913.
  • chatter in The Century Dictionary, New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., 1911.
  • chatter at OneLook Dictionary Search

Anagrams
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