Definition of CHATTER

chatter

Plural: chatters

Noun

  • noisy talk
  • the rapid series of noises made by the parts of a machine
  • the high-pitched continuing noise made by animals (birds or monkeys)
  • Talk, especially meaningless or unimportant talk.
  • The sound of talking.
  • The vocalisations of a Eurasian magpie, Pica pica.
  • The vocalisations of various birds or other animals.
  • An intermittent noise, as from vibration.
  • In national security, the degree of communication between suspect groups and individuals, used to gauge the degree of expected terrorist activity.
  • The situation where a drill or similar tool vibrates and tears the material rather than cutting it cleanly.
  • One who chats.
  • A user of chat rooms.

Verb

Verb Forms: chattered, chattering, chatters

  • To talk rapidly and trivially; to make quick, clicking sounds.
  • click repeatedly or uncontrollably
    • "Chattering teeth"
  • cut unevenly with a chattering tool
  • talk socially without exchanging too much information
  • speak (about unimportant matters) rapidly and incessantly
  • make noise as if chattering away
    • "The magpies were chattering in the trees"
  • To talk idly.
  • To make a noise by rapid collisions.
  • To utter sounds which somewhat resemble language, but are inarticulate and indistinct.

Examples

  • He was so cold that his teeth were chattering.
  • Proper brake adjustment will help to reduce the chatter.
  • The NSA is concerned about increased chatter between known terror groups.
  • The opponent continued to CHATTER, hoping to disrupt his focus on the Scrabble board.
  • They knitted and chattered the whole time.

Origin / Etymology

From Middle English chateren, from earlier cheteren, chiteren (“to twitter, chatter, jabber”), of imitative origin. Compare Saterland Frisian tjoaterje (“to chatter”), West Frisian tsjotterje (“to chatter”), Dutch schateren, schetteren (“chatter”), Dutch koeteren (“jabber”), Middle Low German kidderen (“to chatter”), German Low German queteln (“to chatter”), dialectal German kaudern (“to gobble (like a turkey)”), Danish kvidre (“to twitter, chirp”).

Synonyms

blab, blabber, cackle, chaffer, chat, chattering, chew the fat, chit-chat, chitchat, clack, claver, click, confab, confabulate, gabble, gibber, gossip, jaw, maunder, natter, palaver, piffle, prate, prattle, shoot the breeze, tattle, tittle-tattle, twaddle, visit, yack, yak, yakety-yak, babble, bavardage, bibble-babble, blabbing, blather, blathering, chatter, chatting, chinwag, clatter, clepe, gnash, grind, hot air, mardle, nattering, pink, scuttlebutt, small talk, waffle, yackety-yak, yap, yatter

Scrabble Score: 12

chatter: valid Scrabble (US) TWL Word
chatter: valid Scrabble Word in Merriam-Webster MW Dictionary
chatter: valid Scrabble Word in International Collins CSW Dictionary

Words With Friends Score: 12

chatter: valid Words With Friends Word