chatter

[ chat-er ]

verb (used without object)

1. to talk rapidly in a foolish or purposeless way; jabber.
2. to utter a succession of quick, inarticulate, speechlike sounds, as monkeys or certain birds.

   Synonyms: click, clatter

3. to make a rapid clicking noise by striking together:

   His teeth were chattering from the cold.

4. Machinery. (of a cutting tool or piece of metal) to vibrate during cutting so as to produce surface flaws on the work.

verb (used with object)

1. to utter rapidly or purposelessly.
2. to cause to chatter, as the teeth from cold.

noun

1. purposeless or foolish talk.
2. a series of waves or ridges on the surface of a piece of metal that has been imperfectly drawn or extruded.
3. the act or sound of chattering.
4. online, phone, radio, or other electronic communication among people, often involving a harmful political activity such as espionage or terrorism:

   Officials were able to intercept and identify a high level of terrorist chatter in the weeks before the bombing attempt.

chatter

/ ˈtʃætə /

verb

1. to speak (about unimportant matters) rapidly and incessantly; prattle
2. intr (of birds, monkeys, etc) to make rapid repetitive high-pitched noises resembling human speech
3. intr (of the teeth) to click together rapidly through cold or fear
4. intr to make rapid intermittent contact with a component, as in machining, causing irregular cutting

noun

1. idle or foolish talk; gossip
2. the high-pitched repetitive noise made by a bird, monkey, etc
3. the rattling of objects, such as parts of a machine
4. Also calledchatter mark the undulating pattern of marks in a machined surface from the vibration of the tool or workpiece

Derived Forms

• ˈchattery, adjective

Other Words From

• chatter·ing·ly adverb
• chatter·y adjective
• outchatter verb (used with object)
• un·chatter·ing adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of chatter¹

1200–50; Middle English chateren; imitative

Word History and Origins

Origin of chatter¹

C13: of imitative origin

Example Sentences

Listen for the debates, stay for the cocktail chatter.

From Slate

But memes and internet chatter are inherently organic and communal, which makes it much more egregious when they try this approach.

From Slate

There has been chatter inside the network that others may follow him.

From Los Angeles Times

Twitter’s growth was supercharged when enough people realized that it was the place to be for everything from updates on a hurricane making landfall to chatter about a late-night Portland Trail Blazers game.

From Slate

In the build-up to Tuesday’s US election, claims of voter fraud flooded social media - but as Donald Trump’s victory crystallised, the chatter largely subsided.

From BBC

Related Words

• babble
• blather
• chat
• chitchat
• gossip