Wiktionary

patter

See also: Pätter

English

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Pronunciation

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Etymology 1

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1610s, pat +‎ -er (“frequentative (indicating repeated action)”),[1] of (onomatopoeia) origin.

Noun

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patter (plural patters)

  1. 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 January, Harold Bindloss, chapter 7, in The Dust of Conflict, 1st Canadian edition, Toronto, Ont.: McLeod & Allen, →OCLC:
      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.
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Verb

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patter (third-person singular simple present patters, present participle pattering, simple past and past participle pattered)

  1. To make irregularly repeated sounds of low-to-moderate magnitude and lower-than-average pitch.
    The bullets pattered into the log-cabin walls.
  2. To spatter; to sprinkle.
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Etymology 2

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Noun is from Middle English pater, verb is from Middle English pateren.

Noun attested 1758, originally referring to the cant of thieves and beggers.[1]

Noun

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patter (countable and uncountable, plural patters)

  1. 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.
    • 2010 April 7, Kevin Shinick, “Blob Gets Job” (16:32 from the start), in Ugly Americans‎[1], season 1, episode 4, spoken by Mark Lilly (Matt Oberg):
      “Did you say the bodies are getting mixed together with the toxic waste?” [sigh] “Now I got to look at the brochure. Yeah, that's what it says.” “By the way, you're really gonna have to work on your patter a little bit.”
    • 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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Verb

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patter (third-person singular simple present patters, present participle pattering, simple past and past participle pattered)

  1. To speak glibly and rapidly, as does an auctioneer or a sports commentator.
  2. (intransitive, obsolete) To repeat the Lord's Prayer.
  3. (intransitive, obsolete) To pray.
  4. (transitive, obsolete) To repeat hurriedly; to mutter.
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Etymology 3

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From pat +‎ -er (“agent”).

Noun

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patter (plural patters)

  1. 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.

References

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  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 Douglas Harper (2001–2024) “patter”, in Online Etymology Dictionary.

Anagrams

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Danish

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Noun

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patter

  1. indefinite plural of patte

Verb

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patter

  1. present of patte

Norwegian Bokmål

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Noun

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patter m

  1. indefinite plural of patte

Norwegian Nynorsk

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Alternative forms

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Noun

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patter

  1. indefinite feminine plural of patte
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Note 1