Word forms: 3rd person singular presenttense patters, present participle pattering, past tense, past participle pattered
1. verb
If something patters on a surface, it hits it quickly several times, making quiet, tapping sounds.
Rain pattered gently outside, dripping on to the roof from the pines. [VERB adverb/preposition]
Synonyms: chatter, spout [informal], babble, rattle off More Synonyms of patter
2. singular noun
A patter is a series of quick, quiet, tapping sounds.
...the patter of the driving rain on the roof. [+ of]
Synonyms: tapping, pattering, pitter-patter, pitapat More Synonyms of patter
3. singular noun [usually poss NOUN]
Someone's patter is a series of things that they say quickly and easily, usually in order to entertain people or to persuade them to buy or do something.
Even his neighbours in rural Maine fell for his patter.
Fran began her automatic patter about how Jon had been unavoidably detained.
More Synonyms of patter
patter in British English1
(ˈpætə)
verb
1. (intransitive)
to walk or move with quick soft steps
2.
to strike with or make a quick succession of light tapping sounds
3. (transitive) rare
to cause to patter
noun
4.
a quick succession of light tapping sounds, as of feet
the patter of mice
Word origin
C17: from pat1
patter in British English2
(ˈpætə)
noun
1.
the glib rapid speech of comedians, salespeople, etc
2.
quick idle talk; chatter
3.
the jargon of a particular group; lingo
verb
4. (intransitive)
to speak glibly and rapidly
5.
to repeat (prayers) in a mechanical or perfunctory manner
Word origin
C14: from Latin pater in Pater Noster Our Father
patter in American English1
(ˈpætər)
verb intransitive
1.
to make a patter
2.
to run or move along so as to make a patter
noun
3.
a series of quick, light taps
the patter of rain on leaves
Word origin
freq. of pat1
patter in American English2
(ˈpætər)
verb transitive, verb intransitive
1.
to speak or mumble rapidly or glibly; recite (prayers, etc.) mechanically or thoughtlessly
noun
2.
language peculiar to a group, class, etc., and not generally understood by outsiders; cant; jargon
3.
the glib, rapid speech of salespeople, comedians, magicians, etc.
4.
idle, meaningless chatter
Derived forms
patterer (ˈpatterer)
noun
Word origin
ME pateren < pater, in paternoster, as pronounced in rapid, mechanical recitation
patter in American English3
(ˈpætər)
noun
a person or thing that pats
Examples of 'patter' in a sentence
patter
Do we hear the patter of tiny royal feet?
Times, Sunday Times (2012)
Can you hear the patter of tiny feet?
The Sun (2013)
Are we about to hear the patter of tiny feet?
The Sun (2014)
She pulls me over to some chairs and launches into her sales patter for the shop.
Times, Sunday Times (2011)
He pours me a cup of coffee and slips into his sales patter.
Times, Sunday Times (2013)
The patter of tiny paws is imminent.
Times, Sunday Times (2014)
His sales patter included planting drugs in a room and then pretending to find them with the device.
The Sun (2013)
Nature's tough on pandas who want to hear the patter of tiny paws.
The Sun (2012)
My girlfriend said she'd like to hear the patter of tiny feet.
The Sun (2008)
He is charming and engaging and delightfully thoughtful, but this is still smooth salesman patter.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
But for all the smooth patter, execution is what counts.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
I can hear the sales patter.
Times, Sunday Times (2009)
Keepers hope for the patter of tiny paws from Scotland's most famous couple.
Times, Sunday Times (2013)
Can you remember the patter of rain on your tent, the sound of owls or the rustling of the wind in the leaves at night?
The Sun (2010)
Because at that point, for anyone with more than a passing interest in sport, the sales patter becomes superfluous.
Times, Sunday Times (2014)
And while in the shower, I do not hear the patter of tiny wet feet.
Times, Sunday Times (2008)
The first place I tried my sales patter was in a local Jobcentre.
Times, Sunday Times (2009)
In other languages
patter
British English: patter VERB
If something patters on a surface, it hits it quickly several times, making quiet, tapping sounds.
Rain pattered gently outside, dripping on to the roof from the pines.
American English: patter
Brazilian Portuguese: tamborilar
Chinese: 急速拍打
European Spanish: tamborilear
French: tambouriner
German: prasseln
Italian: picchiettare
Japanese: パタパタとたたく
Korean: 후드득거리다
European Portuguese: tamborilar
Latin American Spanish: tamborilear
British English: patter NOUN
A patter is a series of quick, quiet, tapping sounds.
...the patter of the driving rain on the roof.
American English: patter
Brazilian Portuguese: tamborilada
Chinese: 急速轻拍声
European Spanish: golpeteo
French: crépitement
German: Prasseln
Italian: picchiettio
Japanese: パタパタという音
Korean: 후드득 거리는 소리
European Portuguese: tamborilada
Latin American Spanish: golpeteo
Chinese translation of 'patter'
patter
(ˈpætəʳ)
n
(s) (= sound)[of feet, rain]嗒嗒声(聲) (dādāshēng)
(u/s) (= talk) 珠玑(璣)妙语(語) (zhūjī miàoyǔ)
vi
[footsteps, person]嗒嗒地行走 (dādā de xíngzǒu)
[rain]发(發)出嗒嗒声(聲) (fāchū dādāshēng)
1 (verb)
Definition
to make repeated light tapping sounds
All night the sleet pattered on the tin roof.
Synonyms
tap
Tap the egg lightly with a teaspoon.
beat
The rain was beating on the window panes.
pat
She patted me on the knee.
pelt
Crowds started to pelt police cars with stones.
spatter
rat-a-tat
pitter-patter
pitapat
2 (verb)
Definition
to walk with quick soft steps
She jumped up and pattered across the room.
Synonyms
walk lightly
trip
They tripped along without a care in the world.
skip
She was skipping along the pavement.
scuttle
Two very small children scuttled away.
scurry
The attack began, sending residents scurrying for cover.
tiptoe
(noun)
Definition
a quick succession of light tapping sounds, such as by feet
the patter of the driving rain on the window
Synonyms
tapping
pattering
pitter-patter
pitapat
1 (noun)
Definition
the glib rapid speech of comedians or salesmen
Don't be taken in by the sales patter.
Synonyms
spiel (informal)
She had been hearing this kind of spiel for thirty years now.
line
Don't be fooled by that line about having seen you before somewhere.
pitch
He was impressed with her hard sales pitch.
monologue
He ignored the question and continued his monologue.
2 (noun)
Definition
chatter
the cheery patter of DJs
Synonyms
chatter
She kept up a steady stream of chatter the whole time.
prattle
I had had enough of his mindless prattle.
nattering
jabber
gabble
yak (slang)
3 (noun)
Definition
the jargon of a particular group
the famous Glasgow patter
Synonyms
jargon
full of the jargon and slang of self-improvement courses
slang
He liked to think he kept up with current slang.
vernacular
To use the vernacular of the day, Peter was square.
cant
He resorted to a lot of pseudo-psychological cant to confuse me.
lingo (informal)
I don't speak the lingo.
patois
people from the ghetto who speak street patois
argot
the argot of the university campus
(verb)
Definition
to speak glibly and rapidly
Synonyms
chatter
Everyone was chattering away in different languages.
spout (informal)
She would go red in the face and start to spout.
babble
They all babbled simultaneously.
rattle off
hold forth
He is capable of holding forth with great eloquence.
tattle
spiel (informal)
jabber
I left them there jabbering away
blab
rattle on
I listened in silence as Sam rattled on.
prate
Additional synonyms
in the sense of argot
Definition
slang or jargon peculiar to a particular group
the argot of the university campus
Synonyms
jargon,
slang,
dialect,
idiom,
vernacular,
patter,
parlance,
cant,
lingo (informal),
patois
in the sense of babble
Definition
to talk in a quick, foolish, or muddled way
They all babbled simultaneously.
Synonyms
gabble,
chatter,
gush,
spout,
waffle (informal, British),
splutter,
gaggle,
burble,
prattle,
gibber,
rabbit on (British, informal),
jabber,
prate,
earbash (Australian, New Zealand, slang)
in the sense of beat
Definition
to strike with a series of violent blows
The rain was beating on the window panes.
Synonyms
pound,
strike,
hammer (informal),
batter,
thrash,
pelt
Nearby words of
patter
patronage
patronize
patronizing
patter
pattern
patterned
paucity
Synonyms of 'patter'
patter
Explore 'patter' in the dictionary
Additional synonyms
in the sense of cant
Definition
specialized vocabulary of a particular group, such as thieves or lawyers
He resorted to a lot of pseudo-psychological cant to confuse me.
Synonyms
jargon,
slang,
vernacular,
patter,
lingo (informal),
argot
in the sense of hold forth
Definition
to speak for a long time
He is capable of holding forth with great eloquence.
Synonyms
speak,
go on,
discourse,
lecture,
preach,
spout (informal),
harangue,
declaim,
spiel (informal),
descant,
orate,
speechify,
korero (New Zealand)
in the sense of jabber
Definition
to speak very quickly and excitedly
I left them there jabbering away
Synonyms
chatter,
rabbit (on) (British, informal),
ramble,
mumble,
babble,
waffle (informal, British),
drivel,
yap (informal),
tattle,
gabble,
blather,
blether,
run off at the mouth (slang),
prate
in the sense of line
Don't be fooled by that line about having seen you before somewhere.
Synonyms
patter,
story,
pitch,
spiel (informal)
in the sense of lingo
Definition
any foreign or unfamiliar language or jargon
I don't speak the lingo.
Synonyms
language,
jargon,
dialect,
talk,
speech,
tongue,
idiom,
vernacular,
patter,
cant,
patois,
argot (formal)
in the sense of monologue
Definition
any long speech by one person, esp. one which prevents other people talking or expressing their views
He ignored the question and continued his monologue.
Synonyms
speech,
lecture,
sermon,
harangue,
soliloquy,
oration,
spiel (informal)
in the sense of pat
Definition
to tap (someone or something) lightly with the hand
She patted me on the knee.
Synonyms
stroke,
touch,
tap,
pet,
slap,
dab,
caress,
fondle
in the sense of patois
Definition
the jargon of a particular group
people from the ghetto who speak street patois
Synonyms
jargon,
slang,
vernacular,
patter,
cant,
lingo (informal),
argot
in the sense of pelt
Definition
to throw (missiles) at
Crowds started to pelt police cars with stones.
Synonyms
shower,
beat,
strike,
pepper,
batter,
thrash,
bombard,
wallop (informal),
assail,
pummel,
hurl at,
cast at,
belabour,
sling at
in the sense of pitch
Definition
a persuasive sales talk, esp. one routinely repeated
He was impressed with her hard sales pitch.
Synonyms
talk,
line,
patter,
spiel (informal)
Additional synonyms
in the sense of prate
Definition
to talk idly and at length
Synonyms
chatter,
go on,
gas (informal),
boast,
rabbit (on) (British, informal),
jaw (slang),
brag,
babble,
waffle (informal, British),
drivel,
yak (slang),
gab (informal),
blather,
witter on (informal),
blether,
shoot your mouth off (slang)
in the sense of prattle
Definition
foolish or childish talk
I had had enough of his mindless prattle.
Synonyms
chatter,
talk,
babble,
waffle (informal),
rambling,
wittering (informal),
prating,
drivel,
jabber,
gabble,
blather,
blether (Scottish)
in the sense of rattle on
Definition
to talk quickly and at length about something unimportant
I listened in silence as Sam rattled on.
Synonyms
prattle,
rabbit (on) (British, informal),
chatter,
witter (informal),
cackle,
yak (away) (slang),
gibber,
jabber,
gabble,
blether,
prate,
run on,
earbash (Australian, New Zealand, slang)
in the sense of scurry
Definition
to run quickly with short steps
The attack began, sending residents scurrying for cover.
Synonyms
hurry,
race,
dash,
fly,
sprint,
dart,
whisk,
skim,
beetle,
scud,
scuttle,
scoot,
scamper
in the sense of scuttle
Definition
to run with short quick steps
Two very small children scuttled away.
Synonyms
run,
scurry,
scamper,
rush,
hurry,
scramble,
hare (British, informal),
bustle,
beetle,
scud,
hasten,
scoot,
scutter (British, informal)
in the sense of skip
Definition
to move lightly by hopping from one foot to the other
She was skipping along the pavement.
Synonyms
hop,
dance,
bob,
trip,
bounce,
caper,
prance,
cavort,
frisk,
gambol
in the sense of slang
Definition
informal language not used in formal speech or writing and often restricted to a particular social group or profession
He liked to think he kept up with current slang.
Synonyms
colloquialisms,
jargon,
idioms,
argot,
informal language
in the sense of spout
Definition
to talk about (something) in a boring way or without much thought
She would go red in the face and start to spout.
Synonyms
hold forth,
talk,
rant,
go on (informal),
rabbit (on) (British, informal),
ramble (on),
pontificate,
declaim,
spiel (informal),
expatiate,
orate,
speechify
in the sense of trip
Definition
to walk lightly and quickly, with a dancelike motion
They tripped along without a care in the world.
Synonyms
skip,
dance,
spring,
hop,
caper,
flit,
frisk,
gambol,
tread lightly
in the sense of vernacular
Definition
the commonly spoken language or dialect of a particular people or place
To use the vernacular of the day, Peter was square.