patter
See also: Pätter
English
Pronunciation
- (Received Pronunciation) IPA(key): /ˈpæt.ə/
- (General American) IPA(key): /ˈpæt.ɚ/
Audio (UK) (file) - Rhymes: -ætə(ɹ)
Etymology 1
1610s, pat + -er (“frequentative (indicating repeated action)”),[1] of (onomatopoeia) origin.
Noun
patter (plural patters)
- A soft repeated sound, as of rain falling, or feet walking on a hard surface.
- I could hear the patter of mice running about in the dark.
- 1907, Harold Bindloss, chapter 7, in The Dust of Conflict:
- The patter of feet, and clatter of strap and swivel, seemed to swell into a bewildering din, but they were almost upon the fielato offices, where the carretera entered the town, before a rifle flashed.
Derived terms
- pattersome
- pitter-patter
Translations
soft repeated sound
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Verb
patter (third-person singular simple present patters, present participle pattering, simple past and past participle pattered)
- To make irregularly repeated sounds of low-to-moderate magnitude and lower-than-average pitch.
- The bullets pattered into the log-cabin walls.
- 1728, James Thomson, “Spring”, in The Seasons, London: […] A[ndrew] Millar, and sold by Thomas Cadell, […], published 1768, OCLC 642619686:
- The stealing shower […] 'Tis scarce to patter heard.
- To spatter; to sprinkle.
- 1819 (published in 1835) Joseph Rodman Drake, s:The Culprit Fay
- Patter the water about the boat.
- 1819 (published in 1835) Joseph Rodman Drake, s:The Culprit Fay
Translations
to make irregularly repeated sounds
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Etymology 2
Circa 1400, from paternoster (“the Lord's prayer”),[1] possibly influenced by imitative sense (above), Latin pater (“father”), from Proto-Indo-European *ph₂tḗr.
Noun attested 1758, originally referring to the cant of thieves and beggers.[1]
Noun
patter (countable and uncountable, plural patters)
- Glib and rapid speech, such as from an auctioneer or a sports commentator.
- 1887, Gilbert and Sullivan (lyrics and music), “My Eyes Are Fully Open”, in Ruddigore:
- This particularly rapid, unintelligible patter isn't generally heard, and if it is it doesn't matter.
- 1975, Garry Marshall et al., “Richie's Flip Side”, in Happy Days, season 2, episode 21, spoken by Richie Cunningham (Ron Howard):
- Dad, I want to be a jock. All a jock needs is some hep patter and a real gone image. Now, they just don't teach that jazz in college.
- 2017, Jamie Bartlett, chapter 5, in Radicals, William Heinemann, →ISBN:
- As a young man he [Beppe Grillo] performed with a guitar in local bars, but fans preferred his pre-show patter, and he evolved into a successful stand-up comedian.
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Derived terms
- Glasgow patter
- patter song
Translations
glib and rapid speech
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Verb
patter (third-person singular simple present patters, present participle pattering, simple past and past participle pattered)
- To speak glibly and rapidly, as does an auctioneer or a sports commentator.
- 1851, Henry Mayhew, London Labour and the London Poor; […], volume I (The London Street-folk. Book the First.), London: [George Woodfall], OCLC 879724173, page 379:
- He showed a little of the pride of art in describing the management of his business, but he would not hear that he “pattered:” he talked to his customers, he declared, as any draper, who knew his business well, might talk to his.
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- (intransitive, obsolete) To repeat the Lord's Prayer.
- (intransitive, obsolete) To pray.
- (transitive, obsolete) To repeat hurriedly; to mutter.
Translations
to speak glibly and rapidly
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Etymology 3
pat + -er (“agent”)
Noun
patter (plural patters)
- One who pats.
- 1981, Jackie Cooper, Richard Kleiner, Please Shoot Dog, page 50:
- I used to hate head patters, and I have realized that all children dislike being patted on the head.
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References
- Douglas Harper (2001–2023), “patter”, in Online Etymology Dictionary.
Anagrams
- Pratte, p'tater
Norwegian Bokmål
Noun
patter m
- indefinite plural of patte
Norwegian Nynorsk
Alternative forms
- pattar
Noun
patter
- indefinite feminine plural of patte