prate

• POS: Noun, Verb (intransitive), Verb (transitive)

CIDE DICTIONARY

prate, v. i. [Akin to LG. & D. praten, Dan. prate, Sw. & Icel. prata.].

 To talk much and to little purpose; to be loquacious; to speak foolishly; to babble.  [1913 Webster]
"To prate and talk for life and honor."  [1913 Webster]
"And make a fool presume to prate of love."  [1913 Webster]

prate, v. t. 

 To utter foolishly; to speak without reason or purpose; to chatter, or babble.  [1913 Webster]
"What nonsense would the fool, thy master, prate,
When thou, his knave, canst talk at such a rate !"  [1913 Webster]

prate, n. [Akin to LG. & D. praat, Sw. prat.].

 Talk to little purpose; trifling talk; unmeaning loquacity.  [1913 Webster]
"Sick of tops, and poetry, and prate."  [1913 Webster]

OXFORD DICTIONARY

prate, v. & n.
--v.
1 intr. chatter; talk too much.
2 intr. talk foolishly or irrelevantly.
3 tr. tell or say in a prating manner.
--n. prating; idle talk.

Derivative

prater n. prating adj.

Etymology

ME f. MDu., MLG praten, prob. imit.

THESAURUS

prate

absurdity, amphigory, babble, babblement, balderdash, bavardage, bibble-babble, blab, blabber, blah-blah, blather, blether, blethers, blow, bombast, brag, bull, bullshit, cackle, caquet, caqueterie, chat, chatter, chitter-chatter, clack, claptrap, clatter, cock-a-doodle-doo, crow, dither, double-talk, drivel, drool, fiddle-faddle, fiddledeedee, flummery, folderol, fudge, fustian, gab, gabble, galimatias, gammon, gas, gasconade, gibber, gibberish, gibble-gabble, go on, gobbledygook, gossip, guff, gush, haver, hocus-pocus, hot air, humbug, idle talk, jabber, jargon, jaw, mere talk, mouth, mumbo jumbo, narrishkeit, natter, niaiserie, nonsense, nonsense talk, pack of nonsense, palaver, patter, piffle, pour forth, prating, prattle, prittle-prattle, puff, ramble on, rant, rattle, rattle on, reel off, rigamarole, rigmarole, rodomontade, rubbish, run on, skimble-skamble, spout, spout off, stuff and nonsense, stultiloquence, talk away, talk nonsense, talk on, talkee-talkee, tittle-tattle, trash, trumpery, twaddle, twattle, twiddle-twaddle, vapor, vaporing, vaunt, waffle, waffling, yak, yakkety-yak

ROGET THESAURUS

prate

Loquacity

N loquacity, loquaciousness, talkativeness, garrulity, multiloquence, much speaking, jaw, gabble, jabber, chatter, prate, prattle, cackle, clack, twaddle, twattle, rattle, caquet, caquetterie, blabber, bavardage, bibble-babble, gibble-gabble, small talk, fluency, flippancy, volubility, flowing, tongue, flow of words, flux de bouche, flux de mots, copia verborum, cacoethes loquendi, furor loquendi, verbosity, gift of the gab, talker, chatterer, chatterbox, babbler, rattle, ranter, sermonizer, proser, driveler, blatherskite, gossip, magpie, jay, parrot, poll, Babel, moulin a paroles, loquacious, talkative, garrulous, linguacious, multiloquous, largiloquent, chattering, chatty, declamatory, open-mouthed, fluent, voluble, glib, flippant, long tongued, long winded, trippingly on the tongue, glibly, off the reel, the tongue running fast, the tongue running loose, the tongue running on wheels, all talk and no cider, foul whisperings are abroad, what a spendthrift is he of his tongue!.

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.

Conversation

VB talk together, converse, confabulate, hold on a conversation, carry on a conversation, join in a conversation, engage in a conversation, put in a word, shine in conversation, bandy words, parley, palaver, chat, gossip, tattle, prate, powwow, discourse with, confer with, commune with, commerce with, hold converse, hold conference, hold intercourse, talk it over, be closeted with, talk with one in private, tete-a-tete.