Definitions, Translations, and Word of the Day
Definition of "patter" [pat•ter]
- To make a quick succession of light soft tapping sounds: Rain pattered steadily against the glass. (verb-intransitive)
- To move with quick, light, softly audible steps. (verb-intransitive)
- To cause to patter. (verb-transitive)
- A quick succession of light soft tapping sounds: the patter of rain on the rooftops. (noun)
- To speak or chatter glibly and rapidly. (verb-intransitive)
American Heritage(R) Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright (c) 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
Use "patter" in a sentence
- "The only similar patter is the Roaring 20′s, but on a much smaller scale."
- "I can't imagine a Spielberg film ending with a young boy watching a senator speak on TV and turning away because his patter is utterly irrelevant and probably full of lies."
- "Personally, I see no break from the longer term patter established beginning last April, although I very much want to see declines from 480,000 in the next couple of weeks."