chatter
Americanverb (used without object)
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to talk rapidly in a foolish or purposeless way; jabber.
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to utter a succession of quick, inarticulate, speechlike sounds, as monkeys or certain birds.
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to make a rapid clicking noise by striking together.
His teeth were chattering from the cold.
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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)
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to utter rapidly or purposelessly.
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to cause to chatter, as the teeth from cold.
noun
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purposeless or foolish talk.
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a series of waves or ridges on the surface of a piece of metal that has been imperfectly drawn or extruded.
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the act or sound of chattering.
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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.
verb
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to speak (about unimportant matters) rapidly and incessantly; prattle
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(intr) (of birds, monkeys, etc) to make rapid repetitive high-pitched noises resembling human speech
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(intr) (of the teeth) to click together rapidly through cold or fear
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(intr) to make rapid intermittent contact with a component, as in machining, causing irregular cutting
noun
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idle or foolish talk; gossip
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the high-pitched repetitive noise made by a bird, monkey, etc
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the rattling of objects, such as parts of a machine
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Also called: chatter mark. the undulating pattern of marks in a machined surface from the vibration of the tool or workpiece
Other Word Forms
- chatteringly adverb
- chattery adjective
- outchatter verb (used with object)
- unchattering adjective
Etymology
Origin of chatter
1200–50; Middle English chateren; imitative
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Horror-novel fans had speculated online for months about the book’s authorship, and in January Pangram CEO Max Spero stepped in to validate the chatter.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 3, 2026
To make matters worse, stablecoin rival Tether announced it had hired a Big Four accounting firm to complete its first full independent audit, adding to chatter about the company’s potential U.S. expansion.
From Barron's • Mar. 26, 2026
If it’s not the cheers from the crowd, Doncic doesn’t care about the chatter either.
From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 20, 2026
Listener chatter from Mason Cash in Oviedo, Florida: a Major Questions Doctrine song in the style of Gilbert & Sullivan!
From Slate • Mar. 12, 2026
“Now, Miss Gordon,” Mrs. Torrance said, the students’ chatter dropping away once she spoke, “how do you propose to deliver this book to your fellow students?”
From "Anger Is a Gift" by Mark Oshiro
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
