patter Meaning, Definition & Usage

  1. noun plausible glib talk (especially useful to a salesperson)
    spiel; line of gab.
  2. noun a quick succession of light rapid sounds
    • the patter of mice
    • the patter of tiny feet
  3. verb rain gently
    pitter-patter; sprinkle; spatter; spit.
    • It has only sprinkled, but the roads are slick
  4. verb make light, rapid and repeated sounds
    pitter-patter.
    • gently pattering rain

WordNet

Pat"ter intransitive verb
Etymology
Freq. of pat to strike gently.
Wordforms
imperfect & past participle Pattered ; present participle & verbal noun Pattering
Definitions
  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 transitive verb
Definitions
  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.
Pat"ter noun
Definitions
  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.

Webster 1913