patter

See also: Pätter

English

Pronunciation

Etymology 1

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

Noun

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, 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.
Translations
Derived terms

Verb

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.
    • Thomson
      The stealing shower is scarce to patter heard.
  2. To spatter; to sprinkle.
    • J. R. Drake
      Patter the water about the boat.

Translations

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)

  1. Glib and rapid speech, such as from an auctioneer, or banter during a sports event.
    • 1887, Gilbert and Sullivan, "My Eyes Are Fully Open", Ruddigore
      This particularly rapid, unintelligible patter isn't generally heard, and if it is it doesn't matter.
Translations
Derived terms

Verb

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

  1. To speak in such a way – glibly and rapidly, such as from an auctioneer, or when bantering during a sports event.
    • Mayhew
      I've gone out and pattered to get money.
Translations

Etymology 3

pat + -er (agent)

Noun

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

  1. patter” in Douglas Harper, Online Etymology Dictionary, 2001–2019.

Anagrams

This article is issued from Wiktionary. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.