chat

Hello, you have come here looking for the meaning of the word chat. In DICTIOUS you will not only get to know all the dictionary meanings for the word chat, but we will also tell you about its etymology, its characteristics and you will know how to say chat in singular and plural. Everything you need to know about the word chat you have here. The definition of the word chat will help you to be more precise and correct when speaking or writing your texts. Knowing the definition ofchat, as well as those of other words, enriches your vocabulary and provides you with more and better linguistic resources.
See also: Appendix:Variations of "chat"

English

English Wikipedia has an article on:
Wikipedia

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /t͡ʃæt/
  • Audio (US)(file)
  • Audio (AU)(file)
  • Rhymes: -æt

Etymology 1

Abbreviation of chatter. The bird sense refers to the sound of its call.

Verb

chat (third-person singular simple present chats, present participle chatting, simple past and past participle chatted)

Two people chatting. (1) (2)
  1. To be engaged in informal conversation.
    She chatted with her friend in the cafe.
    I like to chat over a coffee with a friend.
  2. To talk more than a few words.
    I met my old friend in the street, so we chatted for a while.
  3. (transitive) To talk of; to discuss.
    They chatted politics for a while.
    • 2014, Lenny Smith, Choices, page 43:
      We would get totally stoned and usually drunk too and chat a load of nonsense into the small hours.
  4. (informal, slang, often as chatting) To chat shit (to speak nonsense, to lie).
    Don't listen to me, I'm chatting.
  5. To exchange text or voice messages in real time through a computer network, as if having a face-to-face conversation.
    Do you want to chat online later?
Derived terms
Translations
The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout § Translations.

Noun

chat (countable and uncountable, plural chats)

  1. (countable, uncountable) Informal conversation.
    It'd be cool to meet up again soon and have a quick chat.
  2. (countable, uncountable) An exchange of text or voice messages in real time through a computer network, resembling a face-to-face conversation.
    Internet Relay Chat
  3. (Internet, uncountable, with or without "the") A chat room, especially (in later use) one accompanying a videoconference or live stream.
    "Type yes in (the) chat if you can hear me."
    • 1997, Meg Booker, The Insider's Guide to America Online, page 256:
      While there are chats for various interest groups (games, Internet, sports), you can also […]
  4. (metonymically, video games, uncountable) The entirety of users, viewed collectively, in a chat room, especially the chat room accompanying a live stream.
    The chat just made a joke about my poor skillz.
    "Chat, should I pick up this sword before heading out?"
  5. (countable) Any of various small Old World passerine birds in the muscicapid tribe Saxicolini or subfamily Saxicolinae that feed on insects.
  6. (countable) Any of several small Australian honeyeaters in the genus Epthianura.
Derived terms
Translations
exchange of text or voice messages in real time
The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout § Translations.

Etymology 2

Compare chit (“small piece of paper”), and chad.

Noun

chat

  1. A small potato, such as is given to swine.

References

  1. ^ William Safire, The Right Word in the Right Place at the Right Time, p. 43, Simon and Schuster, 2007 →ISBN.

Etymology 3

Unknown.

Noun

chat (plural chats)

  1. (mining, local use) Mining waste from lead and zinc mines.
    • 2006, Thomas Pynchon, Against the Day, Vintage, published 2007, page 441:
      Frank had been looking at calcite crystals for a while now [...] among the chats or zinc tailings of the Lake County mines, down here in the silver lodes of the Vita Madre and so forth.
Translations

Etymology 4

From thieves' cant.

Alternative forms

Noun

chat (plural chats)

  1. (British, Australia, New Zealand, World War I military slang) A louse (small, parasitic insect).
    • 1977, Mary Emily Pearce, Apple Tree Lean Down, page 520:
      'Do officers have chats, then, the same as us?'
      'Not the same, no. The chats they got is bigger and better, with pips on their shoulders and Sam Browne belts.'
    • 2007, How Can I Sleep when the Seagull Calls?, →ISBN, page 18:
      May a thousand chats from Belgium crawl under their fingers as they write.
    • 2013, Graham Seal, The Soldiers' Press: Trench Journals in the First World War, →ISBN, page 149:
      Trench foot was a nasty and potentially fatal foot disease commonly caused by these conditions, in which chats or body lice were the bane of all.

Etymology 5

Noun

chat (plural chats)

  1. Alternative form of chaat

Anagrams

Antillean Creole

Etymology

From French chat.

Noun

chat

  1. cat

Dutch

Pronunciation

Etymology 1

Borrowed from English chat.

Noun

chat m (plural chats, diminutive chatje n)

  1. chat (online conversation)
  2. chat (online conversation platform)
Derived terms

Etymology 2

See the etymology of the corresponding lemma form.

Verb

chat

  1. inflection of chatten:
    1. first/second/third-person singular present indicative
    2. imperative

Anagrams

French

Un chat.
French Wikipedia has an article on:
Wikipedia fr

Etymology 1

Inherited from Middle French chat, from Old French chat, from Late Latin cattus.

Pronunciation

Noun

chat m (plural chats, feminine chatte)

  1. cat (feline)
    • 1910, Henry-D. Davray, B. Kozakiewicz (tr.), La Guerre dans les airs, translation of The War in the Air by H. G. Wells, page 335:
      Soudain, d’un seul élan, cela se précipita sur lui, avec un miaulement plaintif et la queue droite. C’était un jeune chat, menu et décharné, qui frottait sa tête contre les jambes de Bert, en ronronnant.
      It advanced suddenly upon him with a rush, with a little meawling cry and tail erect. It rubbed its head against him and purred. It was a tiny, skinny little kitten.
  2. (male) cat, tom, tomcat
    • 1896, Paul Margueritte, “Une flaque”, in L’eau qui dort, Paris: Armand Colin et cie, , section II, pages 102–103:
      — Est-ce un chat ou une chatte ? » demanda Jean.
      Sophie ne se prononça point, Alice devint rouge et dit en riant :
      « C’est un chat !
      — En êtes-vous sûre ? demanda Jean.
      — Ah bien! fit Alice, pour sûr ! »
      "Is it a tomcat or a girl cat?" asked Jean.
      Sophie not having spoken, Alice turned red and said, laughing:
      "It's a tomcat!"
      "Are you sure?" asked Jean.
      "Of course," said Alice, "for sure!"
  3. tag, tig (children’s game)
    • 2023 August, Arnaud de Montjoye, “En touriste à Auschwitz”, in Le Monde diplomatique, page 24:
      Alors, quand il repère, sur le Web, une scène croustillante montrant un groupe en train de se livrer à « une partie de chat, à poil, dans un camp de la mort », c’est comme un déclic.
      (please add an English translation of this quotation)
Derived terms
Related terms
Descendants
  • Louisiana Creole: sha

See also

Etymology 2

Borrowed from English chat.

Pronunciation

Noun

chat m (plural chats)

  1. (Internet) chat (online discussion)
    Synonym: tchat
Derived terms

Further reading

Haitian Creole

Etymology

From French chat, chatte.

Noun

chat

  1. cat
  2. (colloquial) thief
  3. pussy (genitals)

Hokkien

For pronunciation and definitions of chat – see 節 (“knot; node; joint; etc.”).
(This term is the pe̍h-ōe-jī form of 節).
For pronunciation and definitions of chat – see 紮 (“to tie; to bind; bundle; etc.”).
(This term is the pe̍h-ōe-jī form of 紮).
For pronunciation and definitions of chat – see 匝.
(This term is the pe̍h-ōe-jī form of 匝).
For pronunciation and definitions of chat – see 扎 (“to stab; to prick; to puncture; etc.”).
(This term is the pe̍h-ōe-jī form of 扎).
For pronunciation and definitions of chat – see 札 (“letter; note; correspondence; etc.”).
(This term is the pe̍h-ōe-jī form of 札).
For pronunciation and definitions of chat – see 砸 (“to crush; to smash; to bash; to smash; etc.”).
(This term is the pe̍h-ōe-jī form of 砸).

Iban

Etymology

From Hokkien 漆 (chhat).

Noun

chat

  1. paint (substance)

Irish

Pronunciation

Noun

chat m

  1. Lenited form of cat.

Italian

Etymology 1

Unadapted borrowing from English chat.

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /ˈt͡ʃat/
  • Rhymes: -at
  • Hyphenation: chàt

Noun

chat f (invariable)

  1. chat (informal conversation via computer)
Derived terms
See also

Etymology 2

From Somali .

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /ˈkat/
  • Rhymes: -at
  • Hyphenation: chàt

Noun

chat m (invariable)

  1. chat (leaf chewed by people in North Africa and the Middle East)
    Synonym: khat

Jamaican Creole

Etymology

Derived from English chat.

Pronunciation

Verb

chat

  1. to talk about, to discuss
    Synonym: taak

Middle French

Etymology

From Old French chat, from Late Latin cattus.

Noun

chat m (plural chats or chatz, feminine singular chatte, feminine plural chattes)

  1. cat (animal)

Descendants

Norwegian Nynorsk

Alternative forms

Etymology

Borrowed from English chat.

Pronunciation

Noun

chat m (definite singular chaten, indefinite plural chatar, definite plural chatane)

  1. (Internet) a chat

References

Old French

Alternative forms

Etymology

From Late Latin cattus.

Pronunciation

  • (classical) IPA(key): /ˈt͡ʃat/, (northern) /ˈkat/

Noun

chat oblique singular, m (oblique plural chaz or chatz, nominative singular chaz or chatz, nominative plural chat)

  1. cat (animal)

Related terms

Descendants

Polish

Polish Wikipedia has an article on:
Wikipedia pl

Etymology 1

Unadapted borrowing from English chat.

Pronunciation

Noun

chat m inan (related adjective chatowy)

  1. (Internet) Alternative spelling of czat
Declension
Declension of chat
singular plural
nominative chat chaty
genitive chatu chatów
dative chatowi chatom
accusative chat chaty
instrumental chatem chatami
locative chacie chatach
vocative chacie chaty
Derived terms
verb

Etymology 2

See the etymology of the corresponding lemma form.

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /xat/
  • Rhymes: -at
  • Syllabification: chat

Noun

chat f

  1. genitive plural of chata

Further reading

  • chat in Wielki słownik języka polskiego, Instytut Języka Polskiego PAN
  • chat in Polish dictionaries at PWN

Portuguese

Etymology

Unadapted borrowing from English chat.

Pronunciation

 
  • (Brazil) IPA(key): /ˈʃa.t͡ʃi/, /ˈʃɛ.t͡ʃi/
    • (Southern Brazil) IPA(key): /ˈʃa.te/, /ˈʃɛ.te/

Noun

chat m (plural chats)

  1. (Internet) chat room
    Synonym: (chiefly Brazil) bate-papo

Romanian

Etymology

Unadapted borrowing from English chat.

Noun

chat n (uncountable)

  1. chat (online)

Declension

declension of chat (singular only)
singular
n gender indefinite articulation definite articulation
nominative/accusative (un) chat chatul
genitive/dative (unui) chat chatului
vocative chatule

Spanish

Etymology

Borrowed from English chat.

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /ˈt͡ʃat/
  • Rhymes: -at
  • Syllabification: chat

Noun

chat m (plural chats)

  1. chat (exchange of text or voice messages in real time through a computer network)
  2. chat, chat room

Derived terms

Further reading

Tagalog

Etymology

Unadapted borrowing from English chat.

Pronunciation

Noun

chat (Baybayin spelling ᜆ᜔ᜐᜆ᜔) (Internet)

  1. chat (exchange of text or voice messages in real time through a computer network)

Derived terms

See also

Further reading

  • “chat” at KWF Diksiyonaryo ng Wikang Filipino‎, Komisyon sa Wikang Filipino, 2021
  • “chat”, in Pambansang Diksiyonaryo | Diksiyonaryo.ph, Manila, 2018

Turkish

Etymology

Unadapted borrowing from English chat.

Pronunciation

Noun

chat (definite accusative chati, plural chatler)

  1. chat (exchange of text or voice messages in real time through a computer network)
  2. chat room

Declension

Inflection
Nominative chat
Definite accusative chati
Singular Plural
Nominative chat chatler
Definite accusative chati chatleri
Dative chate chatlere
Locative chatte chatlerde
Ablative chatten chatlerden
Genitive chatin chatlerin

Derived terms

Wikious
Boobota
Sagapedia