patter

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See also: Pätter

English

Pronunciation

Etymology 1

1610s, pat +‎ -er (“frequentative (indicating repeated action)”), 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.
Derived terms
Translations

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.
  2. To spatter; to sprinkle.
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Etymology 2

Circa 1400, from paternoster (“the Lord's prayer”), 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.

Noun

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.
    • 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

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.
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. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Douglas Harper (2001–2024) “patter”, in Online Etymology Dictionary.

Anagrams

Danish

Noun

patter

  1. indefinite plural of patte

Verb

patter

  1. present of patte

Norwegian Bokmål

Noun

patter m

  1. indefinite plural of patte

Norwegian Nynorsk

Alternative forms

Noun

patter

  1. indefinite feminine plural of patte
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