chatter

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chat·ter

(chăt′ər)

v. chat·tered, chat·ter·ing, chat·ters

v.intr.

1. To talk rapidly, incessantly, and on trivial subjects; jabber.

2. To utter a rapid series of short, inarticulate, speechlike sounds: birds chattering in the trees.

3. To click quickly and repeatedly: Our teeth chattered from the cold.

4. To vibrate or rattle while in operation: A power drill will chatter if the bit is loose.

v.tr.

To utter in a rapid, usually thoughtless way: chattered a long reply.

1. Idle, trivial talk.

2. Communication, such as email and cell phone calls, between people who are involved in terrorism or espionage, as monitored by a government agency.

3. The sharp, rapid sounds made by some birds and animals.

4. A series of quick rattling or clicking sounds.

[Middle English chateren, of imitative origin.]

chat′ter·er n.

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

chatter

(ˈtʃætə)

1. to speak (about unimportant matters) rapidly and incessantly; prattle

2. (Zoology) (intr) (of birds, monkeys, etc) to make rapid repetitive high-pitched noises resembling human speech

3. (intr) (of the teeth) to click together rapidly through cold or fear

4. (Mechanical Engineering) (intr) to make rapid intermittent contact with a component, as in machining, causing irregular cutting

5. idle or foolish talk; gossip

6. (Zoology) the high-pitched repetitive noise made by a bird, monkey, etc

7. the rattling of objects, such as parts of a machine

8. (Mechanical Engineering) Also called: chatter mark the undulating pattern of marks in a machined surface from the vibration of the tool or workpiece

[C13: of imitative origin]

ˈchattery adj

Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014

chat•ter

(ˈtʃæt ər)

v.i.

1. to talk rapidly, continuously, and often purposelessly; jabber.

2. to utter rapid, inarticulate speechlike sounds, as a monkey or bird.

3. to make a rapid clicking noise by striking together: teeth chattering from the cold.

4. (of a cutting tool or piece of metal) to vibrate during cutting.

v.t.

5. to utter rapidly or inconsequentially.

6. rapid and often purposeless talk.

7. the act or sound of chattering.

[1200–50; Middle English chateren, of expressive orig.]

chat′ter•er, n.

chat′ter•ing•ly, adv.

chat′ter•y, adj.

chatter

Past participle: chattered
Gerund: chattering

Imperative
chatter
chatter

Present
I chatter
you chatter
he/she/it chatters
we chatter
you chatter
they chatter

Preterite
I chattered
you chattered
he/she/it chattered
we chattered
you chattered
they chattered

Present Continuous
I am chattering
you are chattering
he/she/it is chattering
we are chattering
you are chattering
they are chattering

Present Perfect
I have chattered
you have chattered
he/she/it has chattered
we have chattered
you have chattered
they have chattered

Past Continuous
I was chattering
you were chattering
he/she/it was chattering
we were chattering
you were chattering
they were chattering

Past Perfect
I had chattered
you had chattered
he/she/it had chattered
we had chattered
you had chattered
they had chattered

Future
I will chatter
you will chatter
he/she/it will chatter
we will chatter
you will chatter
they will chatter

Future Perfect
I will have chattered
you will have chattered
he/she/it will have chattered
we will have chattered
you will have chattered
they will have chattered

Future Continuous
I will be chattering
you will be chattering
he/she/it will be chattering
we will be chattering
you will be chattering
they will be chattering

Present Perfect Continuous
I have been chattering
you have been chattering
he/she/it has been chattering
we have been chattering
you have been chattering
they have been chattering

Future Perfect Continuous
I will have been chattering
you will have been chattering
he/she/it will have been chattering
we will have been chattering
you will have been chattering
they will have been chattering

Past Perfect Continuous
I had been chattering
you had been chattering
he/she/it had been chattering
we had been chattering
you had been chattering
they had been chattering

Conditional
I would chatter
you would chatter
he/she/it would chatter
we would chatter
you would chatter
they would chatter

Past Conditional
I would have chattered
you would have chattered
he/she/it would have chattered
we would have chattered
you would have chattered
they would have chattered

Collins English Verb Tables © HarperCollins Publishers 2011

ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:

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Noun	1.	chatter - noisy talk yack, yak, yakety-yak, cackle talk, talking - an exchange of ideas via conversation; "let's have more work and less talk around here" blether, chin music, idle talk, prate, prattle - idle or foolish and irrelevant talk
	2.	chatter - the rapid series of noises made by the parts of a machine chattering noise - sound of any kind (especially unintelligible or dissonant sound); "he enjoyed the street noises"; "they heard indistinct noises of people talking"; "during the firework display that ended the gala the noise reached 98 decibels"
	3.	chatter - the high-pitched continuing noise made by animals (birds or monkeys) chattering noise - sound of any kind (especially unintelligible or dissonant sound); "he enjoyed the street noises"; "they heard indistinct noises of people talking"; "during the firework display that ended the gala the noise reached 98 decibels"
Verb	1.	chatter - click repeatedly or uncontrollably; "Chattering teeth" click sound, go - make a certain noise or sound; "She went `Mmmmm'"; "The gun went `bang'"
	2.	chatter - cut unevenly with a chattering tool cut - separate with or as if with an instrument; "Cut the rope"
	3.	chatter - talk socially without exchanging too much information; "the men were sitting in the cafe and shooting the breeze" chat, chew the fat, chitchat, chit-chat, claver, confab, jaw, natter, shoot the breeze, chaffer, confabulate, gossip, visit converse, discourse - carry on a conversation jawbone, schmoose, schmooze, shmoose, shmooze - talk idly or casually and in a friendly way
	4.	chatter - speak (about unimportant matters) rapidly and incessantly blabber, gabble, gibber, palaver, piffle, prate, prattle, tattle, tittle-tattle, twaddle, blab, maunder, clack mouth, speak, talk, verbalise, verbalize, utter - express in speech; "She talks a lot of nonsense"; "This depressed patient does not verbalize" blather, blether, blither, smatter, babble - to talk foolishly; "The two women babbled and crooned at the baby"
	5.	chatter - make noise as if chattering away; "The magpies were chattering in the trees" mouth, speak, talk, verbalise, verbalize, utter - express in speech; "She talks a lot of nonsense"; "This depressed patient does not verbalize"

chatter

verb

1. prattle, chat, rabbit on (Brit. informal), babble, gab (informal), natter, tattle, jabber, blather, schmooze (slang), blether (Scot.), run off at the mouth (U.S. slang), prate, gossip Everyone was chattering away in different languages.

noun

1. prattle, chat, rabbit (Brit. informal), gossip, babble, twaddle, gab (informal), natter, tattle, jabber, blather, blether (Scot.) She kept up a steady stream of chatter the whole time.

Collins Thesaurus of the English Language – Complete and Unabridged 2nd Edition. 2002 © HarperCollins Publishers 1995, 2002

chatter

verb

1. To talk volubly, persistently, and usually inconsequentially:

babble, blabber, chitchat, clack, jabber, palaver, prate, prattle, rattle (on), run on.

Informal: go on, spiel.

Slang: gab, gas, jaw, yak.

Idioms: run off at the mouth, shoot the breeze.

2. To talk rapidly, incoherently, or indistinctly:

babble, blather, gabble, gibber, jabber, prate, prattle.

3. To make or cause to make a succession of short, sharp sounds:

brattle, clack, clatter, rattle.

noun

Incessant and usually inconsequential talk:

babble, blab, blabber, chat, chitchat, jabber, palaver, prate, prattle, small talk.

Slang: gab, gas, yak.

Translations

تَصْطَكُّ الأسْنانثَرْثَرَه، هَذْريُثَرْثِر بِصَوْتٍ عالٍ

brebentitjektatštěbetáníštěbetat

klapreknævre løsknævren løs

Geschwätz klappern schwatzen

παραλήρημα

babiller bavardage bavarder jacassement jacasser

karattyolásvacog

glamraòvaîra, masaskvaldur

battere chiacchiera chiacchierare ciarlare

barškėtiplepystauškesys

klabētpļāpāšanapļāpāt

klapre plapre skravling snakke i ett kjør

балаболить

drkotaťklepať sa

klepetanjeklepetati

gürültülü konuşmagürültüyle konuşmaktıkırdamak

唠唠叨叨喋喋不休牙齿打战

chatter

[ˈtʃætəʳ]

A. N (gen) → charla f; (excessive) → cháchara f, cotorreo m; [of birds, monkeys] → parloteo m

B. VI [person] (gen) → charlar; (excessively) → estar de cháchara, cotorrear; [birds, monkeys] → parlotear
her teeth were chattering → le castañeteaban los dientes
she does chatter so → es muy habladora
stop chattering! → ¡silencio!

Collins Spanish Dictionary - Complete and Unabridged 8th Edition 2005 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1971, 1988 © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2005

chatter

[ˈtʃætə^r]

(= talk) [person] → bavarder, papoter

[teeth]
My teeth were chattering → Je claquait des dents.

[animal] → jacasser

n → bavardage m, papotage m

chatter

n (of person) → Geschwätz nt, → Geplapper nt; (of birds, monkeys) → Geschnatter nt

vi (person) → schwatzen, schwätzen (esp S Ger), → plappern; (birds, monkeys) → schnattern; (teeth) → klappern

Collins German Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged 7th Edition 2005. © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1980 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1997, 1999, 2004, 2005, 2007

chatter

[ˈtʃætəʳ]

1. n (talk) → parlottio, chiacchiere fpl, ciarle fpl

2. vi (person) → chiacchierare, ciarlare; (birds) → cinguettare
her teeth were chattering → batteva i denti

chatter

(ˈtʃӕtə) verb

1. to talk quickly and noisily about unimportant things. The children chattered among themselves.

2. (of teeth) to knock together with the cold etc. teeth chattering with terror.

noun

rapid, noisy talk. childish chatter.

ˈchatterbox noun

a talkative person.

chatter

vt. [teeth] rechinar los dientes.

Mentioned in ?

References in classic literature ?

--If I did not myself sigh before them, and chatter with cold, and patiently LET myself be swathed in their pity!

View in context

A soft babel of feminine chatter and laughter came from the main room.

View in context

There were things enough, taking one with another, to chatter about, if one went very fast and knew by instinct when to go round.

After these secret scenes I chattered more than ever, going on volubly enough till one of our prodigious, palpable hushes occurred-- I can call them nothing else--the strange, dizzy lift or swim (I try for terms!) into a stillness, a pause of all life, that had nothing to do with the more or less noise that at the moment we might be engaged in making and that I could hear through any deepened exhilaration or quickened recitation or louder strum of the piano.

View in context

He did it with charming tenderness, carrying on meanwhile a stream of friendly chatter; then he changed the sheet just as they did at the hospital, shook out the pillow, and arranged the bed-clothes.

View in context

She could not help thinking, too, that it would be very pleasant to have such a friend as Gilbert to jest and chatter with and exchange ideas about books and studies and ambitions.

View in context

However, at last he uncovered the box and got out a spoon with a liquid in it, and held it fair and frankly around, for people to see that it was all right and he was taking no advantage--his chatter became more excited than ever.

View in context

It would make them sometimes hug, and sometimes tear one another; they would howl, and grin, and chatter, and reel, and tumble, and then fall asleep in the mud."

View in context

"I will, please God," answered Sancho, and the two retiring to one side of the road set themselves to observe closely what all these moving lights might be; and very soon afterwards they made out some twenty encamisados, all on horseback, with lighted torches in their hands, the awe-inspiring aspect of whom completely extinguished the courage of Sancho, who began to chatter with his teeth like one in the cold fit of an ague; and his heart sank and his teeth chattered still more when they perceived distinctly that behind them there came a litter covered over with black and followed by six more mounted figures in mourning down to the very feet of their mules- for they could perceive plainly they were not horses by the easy pace at which they went.

View in context

I was young enough for them not to feel shy, and they chattered merrily about one thing and another.

View in context

Though Mademoiselle Bourienne had been so unsuccessful in her choice of a subject, she did not stop talking, but chattered about the conservatories and the beauty of a flower that had just opened, and after the soup the prince became more genial.

View in context

A squirrel, from the lofty depths of his domestic tree, chattered either in anger or merriment -- for the squirrel is such a choleric and humorous little personage, that it is hard to distinguish between his moods -- so he chattered at the child, and flung down a nut upon her bead.