chatter

chatter
chatter (v.) early 13c., chateren "to twitter, gossip," earlier cheateren, chiteren, of echoic origin. Cf. Du. koeteren "jabber," Dan. kvidre "twitter, chirp." Related: Chattered; chattering. Phrase chattering class in use by 1893, with a reference perhaps from 1843.
While therefore Mrs. Hamlyn and her daughters were seated in breathless anxiety in the drawing room in Cavendish Square listening every time the slightest movement in the chamber overhead gave indication that the factitious slumbers of the wounded man were broken ... the clubs of the West End were deciding who was to fill the vacant seat for Barsthorpe and whether the Honourable Member for Alverstoke and Alberic Vernon would have to surrender, in order to stand their trial, thus producing the loss of a couple of votes to the opposition. Such was the most interesting side of the fatal event to that idle chattering class of London life to whom the collision of heaven and earth were important only as affording matter for "news!" [Catherine Grace F. Gore ("Mrs. Gore"), "The Banker's Wife," 1843]

Etymology dictionary. 2014.

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  • Chatter — may refer to: Chatter (machining) or machining vibrations Contact bounce or chatter, a common problem with mechanical switches and relays Chatter (terrorist), the volume of communication to or from suspected terrorists Project CHATTER (1947–53),… …   Wikipedia

  • Chatter — Chat ter, n. 1. Sounds like those of a magpie or monkey; idle talk; rapid, thoughtless talk; jabber; prattle. [1913 Webster] Your words are but idle and empty chatter. Longfellow. [1913 Webster] 2. Noise made by collision of the teeth, as in… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Chatter — Chat ter, v. t. To utter rapidly, idly, or indistinctly. [1913 Webster] Begin his witless note apace to chatter. Spenser. [1913 Webster] …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • chatter — CHATTER, v. n. qui ne se dit que d Une chatte qui fait ses petits. Une chatte qui est prête à chatter. Elle a chatté cette nuit …   Dictionnaire de l'Académie Française 1798

  • chatter — [n] constant or rapid talk babble, blather, chat, chitchat, gas*, gossip, jabber*, palaver, prattle*, twaddle, yakking*; concepts 266,278 Ant. drawl chatter [v] speak fast and non stop babble, blab*, blather, cackle, chat, chitchat, clack, gab*,… …   New thesaurus

  • chatter — [chat′ər] vi. [ME chateren: orig. echoic] 1. to make short, indistinct sounds in rapid succession [birds and squirrels chatter] 2. to talk fast, incessantly, and foolishly 3. to click together rapidly, as the teeth do when the lower jaw trembles… …   English World dictionary

  • Chatter — Chat ter, v. i. [imp. & p. p. {Chattered}; p. pr. & vb. n. {Chattering}.] [Of imitative origin. Cf. {Chat}, v. i. {Chitter}.] 1. To utter sounds which somewhat resemble language, but are inarticulate and indistinct. [1913 Webster] The jaw makes… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Chatter — Chatter. См. Вибрация. (Источник: «Металлы и сплавы. Справочник.» Под редакцией Ю.П. Солнцева; НПО Профессионал , НПО Мир и семья ; Санкт Петербург, 2003 г.) …   Словарь металлургических терминов

  • chatter — index bombast, prattle Burton s Legal Thesaurus. William C. Burton. 2006 …   Law dictionary

  • chatter — vb *chat, gab, patter, prate, babble, gabble, jabber, gibber Analogous words: see those at CHAT …   New Dictionary of Synonyms

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