patter

[ pat-er ]

/ ˈpæt ər /

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See synonyms for patter on Thesaurus.com

verb (used without object)

to make a rapid succession of light taps: Raindrops patter on the windowpane.

to move or walk lightly or quickly: The child pattered across the room.

verb (used with object)

to cause to patter.

to spatter with something.

noun

a rapid succession of light tapping sounds: the steady patter of rain on the tin roof.

the act of pattering.

OTHER WORDS FOR patter

1 pat, beat, rap, pelt.

See synonyms for patter on Thesaurus.com

QUIZ

THINGAMABOB OR THINGUMMY: CAN YOU DISTINGUISH BETWEEN THE US AND UK TERMS IN THIS QUIZ?

Do you know the difference between everyday US and UK terminology? Test yourself with this quiz on words that differ across the Atlantic.

Question 1 of 7

In the UK, COTTON CANDY is more commonly known as…

candystring

candyfloss

candypuff

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Origin of patter

First recorded in 1605–15; pat¹ + -er⁶

Words nearby patter

patronymic, patroon, patsy, pattée, patten, patter, pattern, pattern bargaining, pattern bombing, patterning, patternmaker

Other definitions for patter (2 of 3)

patter²

[ pat-er ]

/ ˈpæt ər /

noun

meaningless, rapid talk; mere chatter; gabble.

the usually glib and rapid speech or talk used by a magician while performing, a barker at a circus or sideshow, a comedian or other entertainer, a vendor of questionable wares, or the like; stylized or rehearsed talk used to attract attention, entertain, etc.

amusing lines delivered rapidly by an entertainer or performer, as in a comic routine or in a song.

the jargon or cant of any class, group, etc.

verb (used without object)

to talk glibly or rapidly, especially with little regard to meaning; chatter.

to repeat a paternoster or other prayer in a rapid, mechanical way.

verb (used with object)

to recite or repeat (prayers, verses, etc.) in a rapid, mechanical way.

to repeat or say rapidly or glibly.

Origin of patter

First recorded in 1375–1425; Middle English pateren “to say the paternoster, pray quickly and mechanically”; see pater

OTHER WORDS FROM patter

pat·ter·er, pat·er·ist, noun

Other definitions for patter (3 of 3)

patter³

[ pat-er ]

/ ˈpæt ər /

noun

a person or thing that pats.

Origin of patter

pat¹ + -er¹

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use patter in a sentence

In a robotic patter, a guard read a proposal to change Navalny’s status at the prison.
The Man Putin Fears|Simon Shuster|January 19, 2022|Time
While there are plenty of sounds to choose from, our favorites included the gentle patter of rainfall, which masked a bed partner’s snores.
Our Favorite Gear For a Better Night’s Sleep|syadron|September 1, 2021|Outside Online
In the patter around, and woven into, his brisk piano reading of “Tenth Avenue Freeze-Out” he recalled his late friend and longtime bandmate Clarence Clemons.
The Reopening of Springsteen on Broadway Brought Broadway Out of Hibernation—and One Packed Theater Into a Brighter Future|Stephanie Zacharek|June 28, 2021|Time
Demi had been keeping up a soft patter of chat, but just now she wasn’t sure what to say.
How a rural Virginia town came together for an unforgettable pandemic prom|Hannah Natanson|May 7, 2021|Washington Post

“Without knowing it, during the kite chases I was learning how to get around — by sensing the currents of air and by listening to the patter of feet on a roof, to the scrapes of shoes along a wall,” he wrote.
Ved Mehta, whose monumental autobiography explored life in India, dies at 86|Harrison Smith|January 12, 2021|Washington Post
The scenes are succinct, by and large; the patter of the characters rolls right along, whether you catch their drift or not.
Novelist D. Foy Dubs His Debut ‘Gutter Opera’ And Who Are We To Argue?|J.T. Price|May 12, 2014|DAILY BEAST
But feverish speculation and the constant patter of Vaudevillian innuendo came to overshadow more serious business.
Francois Hollande Announces Breakup with First Lady Valerie Trierweiler|Tracy McNicoll|January 26, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Her father, Frederick Dalziel, was British and with a bearing and patter that suggested far more wealth than he had.
Understanding Diana Vreeland, ‘Empress of Fashion’|Robin Givhan|November 28, 2012|DAILY BEAST
You pretty much can't get a better absurdist parody of politicians' vapid sure-is-nice-to-be-here patter than that.
Mitt's Sense of Humor, Ctd.|Justin Green|October 19, 2012|DAILY BEAST
My heart kept up its pitter-patter as I continued reading down the thread.
Daddy, How Come You’re Always Broke? Benjamin Anastas’s ‘Too Good to Be True’|Benjamin Anastas|October 15, 2012|DAILY BEAST
The short steps patter on the bridge connecting the upper rotunda with the cell-house, and pass along the gallery.
Prison Memoirs of an Anarchist|Alexander Berkman
When the carriage-door was shut and the driver was mounting his box, the same old patter attracted my attention.
The Nursery, December 1881, Vol. XXX|Various
Weston looked up sharply as a patter of approaching footsteps rose out of the shadows behind him.
The Gold Trail|Harold Bindloss
At that moment there was the sound of a scream, then the patter of running feet in the court below.
The Sunbridge Girls at Six Star Ranch|Eleanor H. (Eleanor Hodgman) Porter
Let others who have more sin on their souls, and are more frighted by priests' patter, go if they list.
God Wills It!|William Stearns Davis

British Dictionary definitions for patter (1 of 2)

patter¹

/ (ˈpætə) /

verb

(intr) to walk or move with quick soft steps

to strike with or make a quick succession of light tapping sounds

(tr) rare to cause to patter

noun

a quick succession of light tapping sounds, as of feetthe patter of mice

Word Origin for patter

C17: from pat 1

British Dictionary definitions for patter (2 of 2)

patter²

/ (ˈpætə) /

noun

the glib rapid speech of comedians, salesmen, etc

quick idle talk; chatter

the jargon of a particular group; lingo

verb

(intr) to speak glibly and rapidly

to repeat (prayers) in a mechanical or perfunctory manner

Word Origin for patter

C14: from Latin pater in Pater Noster Our Father

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

patter

OTHER WORDS FOR patter

Origin of patter

Words nearby patter

Other definitions for patter (2 of 3)

Origin of patter

OTHER WORDS FROM patter

Other definitions for patter (3 of 3)

Origin of patter

Words related to patter

How to use patter in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for patter (1 of 2)

Word Origin for patter

British Dictionary definitions for patter (2 of 2)

Word Origin for patter