patter

• POS: Noun, Verb (usu participle), Verb (intransitive), Verb (transitive)
• HYPHEN: pat=ter

CIDE DICTIONARY

patter, v. i. [Freq. of pat to strike gently.].

•  To strike with a quick succession of slight, sharp sounds; as, pattering rain or hail; pattering feet.  [1913 Webster]

  "The stealing shower is scarce to patter heard."  [1913 Webster]
•  To mutter; to mumble; as, to patter with the lips.  [1913 Webster]
•  To talk glibly; to chatter; to harangue.  [1913 Webster]

  "I've gone out and pattered to get money."  [1913 Webster]

patter, v. t. 

•  To spatter; to sprinkle.  J. R. Drake.  [1913 Webster]
•  To mutter; as prayers.  [1913 Webster]

  "[The hooded clouds] patter their doleful prayers."  [1913 Webster]

To patter flash, to talk in thieves' cant. [Slang]

patter, n. 

•  A quick succession of slight sounds; as, the patter of rain; the patter of little feet.  [1913 Webster]
•  Glib and rapid speech; a voluble harangue.  [1913 Webster]
•  The cant of a class; patois; as, thieves's patter; gypsies' patter.  [1913 Webster]
•  The language or oratory of a street peddler, conjurer, or the like, hence, glib talk; a voluble harangue; mere talk; chatter; also, specif., rapid speech, esp. as sometimes introduced in songs.  [Webster 1913 Suppl.]

OXFORD DICTIONARY

patter, v. & n.
--v.
1 intr. make a rapid succession of taps, as of rain on a window-pane.
2 intr. run with quick short steps.
3 tr. cause (water etc.) to patter.
--n. a rapid succession of taps, short light steps, etc.

patter, n. & v.
--n.
1 a the rapid speech used by a comedian or introduced into a song. b the words of a comic song.
2 the words used by a person selling or promoting a product; a sales pitch.
3 the special language or jargon of a profession, class, etc.
--v.
1 tr. repeat (prayers etc.) in a rapid mechanical way.
2 intr. talk glibly or mechanically.

Etymology

ME f. pater = PATERNOSTER

THESAURUS

patter

Scotch mist, act, act as foil, acting, appear, argot, babble, babbling, ballyhoo, bang, barnstorm, barrage, baste, batter, beat, beat a ruffle, beat a tattoo, beating, blab, blabber, blather, blether, blood rain, buffet, buffoonery, bump, business, cackle, cant, chaffer, characterization, chat, chatter, chink, clack, clatter, click, clink, clop, clump, clunk, colloquialize, come out, converse, crump, declaim, dither, drizzle, drub, drum, drum music, drumbeat, drumfire, drumming, dull thud, emote, emotionalize, evening mist, fall, flail, flap, flick, flump, flurry, flutter, gab, gabble, gabbling, gag, gas, get top billing, gibber, gibberish, gibble-gabble, go on, go pitapat, gobbledygook, gossip, gout of rain, gush, ham, hammer, hammy acting, haver, hoke, hokum, hot air, impersonation, jabber, jabbering, jargon, jargonize, jaw, knock, lambaste, larrup, line, lingo, maul, mime, mimesis, mimicking, mimicry, miming, mist, misty rain, mizzle, moisture, mouth, mumbo jumbo, mummery, natter, overacting, pad, palaver, palpitate, palpitation, pantomime, pantomiming, paradiddle, paste, pat, patois, pelt, perform, performance, performing, personation, phraseology, pitapat, pitch, pitter-patter, play, play the lead, playact, playacting, playing, plump, plunk, pommel, pop, portrayal, pound, pounding, pour, pour forth, pour with rain, prate, prattle, precipitate, precipitation, projection, pulsate, pulsation, pulverize, pummel, rain, rain tadpoles, raindrop, rainfall, rainwater, ramble on, rap, rat-a-tat, rat-tat, rat-tat-tat, rataplan, rattattoo, rattle, rattle on, reel off, register, representation, roll, rub-a-dub, ruff, ruffle, run on, sales pitch, sales talk, scatology, scurry, scuttle, sheet of rain, shower, shower down, sketch, skip, slang, slapstick, sledgehammer, small talk, sound a tattoo, spank, spatter, spattering, speak, spiel, spit, splatter, splutter, spout, spout off, sprinkle, sputter, staccato, stage business, stage directions, stage presence, star, steal the show, stooge, stream, stunt, taboo language, taking a role, talk, talk away, talk nonsense, talk on, tap, tat-tat, tattoo, thrash, thresh, throb, throbbing, thrum, thud, thump, thumping, tick, tinkle, tiptoe, tittle-tattle, tom-tom, tread the boards, trip, troupe, tunk, twaddle, twattle, unfrozen hydrometeor, upstage, use language, vernacular, vocabulary, vulgar language, waffle, wag the tongue, wallop, weep, wet, whip, yak, yakkety-yak

ROGET THESAURUS

patter

Loquacity

VB be loquacious, talk glibly, pour forth, patter, prate, palaver, prose, chatter, prattle, clack, jabber, jaw, blather, blatter, blether, rattle, rattle on, twaddle, twattle, babble, gabble, outtalk, talk oneself out of breath, talk oneself hoarse, expatiate, gossip, din in the ears, talk at random, talk nonsense, be hoarse with talking.

Impulse

VB flash on the mind, say what comes uppermost, improvise, extemporize, give an impetus, impel, push, start, give a start to, set going, drive, urge, boom, thrust, prod, foin, cant, elbow, shoulder, jostle, justle, hustle, hurtle, shove, jog, jolt, encounter, run against, bump against, butt against, knock one's head against, run one's head against, impinge, boost, bunt, carom, clip y, fan, fan out, jab, plug, strike, knock, hit, tap, rap, slap, flap, dab, pat, thump, beat, blow, bang, slam, dash, punch, thwack, whack, hit hard, strike hard, swap, batter, dowse, baste, pelt, patter, buffet, belabor, fetch one a blow, poke at, pink, lunge, yerk, kick, calcitrate, butt, strike at, whip, come into a collision, enter into collision, collide, sideswipe, foul, fall foul of, run foul of, telescope, throw.

Roll

VB roll, drum, rumble, rattle, clatter, patter, clack, bombinate, hum, trill, shake, chime, peal, toll, tick, beat, drum in the ear, din in the ear.