Copyright © Philip M. Parker, INSEAD. Terms of Use.
Definition: Patter |
PatterNoun1. Plausible glib talk (especially useful to a salesperson). 2. A quick succession of light rapid sounds; "the patter of mice"; "the patter of tiny feet". Verb1. Rain gently; "It has only sprinkled, but the roads are slick.". 2. Make light, rapid and repeated sounds, as of rain. Source: WordNet 1.7.1 Copyright © 2001 by Princeton University. All rights reserved. |
Date "patter" was first used in popular English literature: sometime before 1588. (references) |
Note: Patter \Pat"ter\, intransitive verb [imperfect & past participle. Pattered; Pattering.]. (references) |
| Domain | Definition |
Literature | Patter To chatter, to clack. Dr. Pusey thinks it is derived from Paternoster (the Lord's Prayer). The priest recited it in a low, mumbling voice till he came to the words, "and lead us not into temptation," which he spoke aloud, and the choir responded, "but deliver us from evil." In our reformed Prayer Book, the priest is directed to say the whole prayer "with a loud voice." Probably the "pattering of rain"- i.e. the rain coming with its pit-pat, is after all the better derivation. Gipsy talk is so called from the French patois. (See Patavinity.). Source: Brewer's Dictionary. |
Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits. | |
Synonyms: PatterSynonyms: line of gab (n), spiel (n), pitter-patter (v), spatter (v), spit (v), sprinkle (v). (additional references) |
| Context | Synonyms within Context (source: adapted from Roget's Thesaurus). |
Impulse | Strike, knock, hit, tap, rap, slap, flap, dab, pat, thump, beat, blow, bang, slam, dash; punch, thwack, whack; hit hard, strike hard; swap, batter, dowse, baste; pelt, patter, buffet, belabor; fetch one a blow; poke at, pink, lunge, yerk; kick, calcitrate; butt, strike at; (attack); whip c. (punish). |
Loquacity | Verb: be loquacious; Adjective: talk glibly, pour forth, patter; prate, palaver, prose, chatter, prattle, clack, jabber, jaw; blather, blatter, blether; rattle, rattle on; twaddle, babble, gabble; outtalk; talk oneself out of breath, talk oneself hoarse; expatiate; (speak at length); gossip; (converse); din in the ears; (repeat); talk at random, talk nonsense; be hoarse with talking. |
Ship | Ship, bark, barque, brig, snow, hermaphrodite brig; brigantine, barkantine; schooner; topsail schooner, for and aft schooner, three masted schooner; chasse-maree; sloop, cutter, corvette, clipper, foist, yawl, dandy, ketch, smack, lugger, barge, hoy, cat, buss; sailer, sailing vessel; windjammer; steamer, steamboat, steamship, liner, ocean liner, cruisp, flap, dab, pat, thump, beat, blow, bang, slam, dash; punch, thwack, whack; hit hard, strike hard; swap, batter, dowse, baste; pelt, patter, buffet, belabor; fetch one a blow; poke at, pip, ship of the line; destroyer, cruiser, frigate; landing ship, LST; aircraft carrier, carrier, flattop, nuclear powered carrier; submarine, submersible, atomic submarine. |
| Source: adapted from Roget's Thesaurus. | |
Crosswords: Patter |
| English words defined with "patter": Blatter ♦ Pattered, Pattering. (references) |
| Specialty definitions using "patter": FLASH ♦ Lord ♦ Rain. (references) |
| Domain | Usage | |
Movie/TV Titles | ||
Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits. | ||
| Domain | Title |
Books |
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Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits. | |
| Play | Caption |
 | Crackle; crepitate; crinkle; hum; murmur; patter; sigh; stir; swish; tap; whir; whish; whoosh. |
| Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits. | |
| Author | Quotation |
Jean Paul Richter | Joy descends gently upon us like the evening dew, and does not patter down like a hailstorm. |
Source: compiled by the editor from various references. | |
| Subject | Topic | Quote |
Lexicography | Devil's Dictionary | LORD, n. In American society, an English tourist above the state of a costermonger, as, lord 'Aberdasher, Lord Hartisan and so forth. The traveling Briton of lesser degree is addressed as "Sir," as, Sir 'Arry Donkiboi, or 'Amstead 'Eath. The word "Lord" is sometimes used, also, as a title of the Supreme Being; but this is thought to be rather flattery than true reverence. Miss Sallie Ann Splurge, of her own accord, Wedded a wandering English lord -- Wedded and took him to dwell with her "paw," A parent who throve by the practice of Draw. Lord Cadde I don't hesitate to declare Unworthy the father-in-legal care Of that elderly sport, notwithstanding the truth That Cadde had renounced all the follies of youth; For, sad to relate, he'd arrived at the stage Of existence that's marked by the vices of age. Among them, cupidity caused him to urge Repeated demands on the pocket of Splurge, Till, wrecked in his fortune, that gentleman saw Inadequate aid in the practice of Draw, And took, as a means of augmenting his pelf, To the business of being a lord himself. His neat-fitting garments he wilfully shed And sacked himself strangely in checks instead; Denuded his chin, but retained at each ear A whisker that looked like a blasted career. He painted his neck an incarnadine hue Each morning and varnished it all that he knew. The moony monocular set in his eye Appeared to be scanning the Sweet Bye-and-Bye. His head was enroofed with a billycock hat, And his low-necked shoes were aduncous and flat. In speech he eschewed his American ways, Denying his nose to the use of his A's And dulling their edge till the delicate sense Of a babe at their temper could take no offence. His H's -- 'twas most inexpressibly sweet, The patter they made as they fell at his feet! Re-outfitted thus, Mr. Splurge without fear Began as Lord Splurge his recouping career. Alas, the Divinity shaping his end Entertained other views and decided to send His lordship in horror, despair and dismay From the land of the nobleman's natural prey. For, smit with his Old World ways, Lady Cadde Fell -- suffering Caesar! -- in love with her dad! G.J. |
Source: compiled by the editor from ICON Group International, Inc.; see credits. | ||
| "Patter" is generally used as a noun (singular) -- approximately 100.00% of the time. "Patter" is used about 109 times out of a sample of 100 million words spoken or written in English. Its rank is based on over 700,000 words used in the English language. Some parts-of-speech are not covered due to the samples used by the British National Corpus. (note: percents less than one-hundredth of one percent have been omitted) |
| Parts of Speech | Percent | Usage per 100 Million Words | Rank in English |
| Noun (singular) | 100% | 109 | 31,132 |
Source: compiled by the editor from several corpora; see credits.
| The following table summarizes the usage of "patter" based on a population census conducted in the United States. Ranks and frequencies are based on all names reported and classified. |
| Name | Usage/Gender | Usage per 100 million Persons | Rank in USA |
| Patter | Last name | 130 | 55,024 |
| Source: compiled by the editor from several corpora; see credits. | |||
Expressions using "patter": have a good patter ♦ patter about ♦ patter of feet ♦ patter of horses feet ♦ pitter patter ♦ To patter flash. Additional references. | |
| Hyphenated Usage | |
Beginning with "patter": patter-merchant. | |
Ending with "patter": go pitter-patter, Pitter-patter, showbiz-patter, stand-patter. | |
| Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits. | |
| The following statistics estimate the number of searches per day across the major English-language search engines as identified by various trade publications. Hyperlinks lead to commercial use of the expression at Amazon.com. |
| Expression | Frequency per Day |
patter | 74 |
patter store | 49 |
harry patter | 19 |
pitter patter | 10 |
free crochet patter | 9 |
craft paper patter | 5 |
female hair loss patter | 4 |
glasgow patter | 3 |
free patter quilt | 2 |
patter simplicity | 2 |
cross free patter stitch | 2 |
sewing patter | 2 |
baby patter pitter shower | 2 |
patter princess | 2 |
chinchilla patter pitter | 2 |
patter.com pitter | 2 |
| Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits. | |
| Language | Translations for "patter"; alternative meanings/domain in parentheses. | |
Albanian | vrapoj (flee, run, scoot), trokitje (knock, percussion, rataplan, rattle), troket shiu, të folur në zhargon, të folur e shpejtë, shqiptoj shpejt e shpejt, shkathtësi në të folur, rreh (palpitate, pound, pulsate, pump), recitoj (declaim, intone), derdhet teposhtë shkallëve. (various references) | |
Arabic | كلمات الأغنية الهزلية, كلام البائع المتجول, هذر (chatter, gabble, garrulity, gibber, logorrhea, loquacity, palaver, prate, prolixity, twaddle, twitter), لغة اللصوص, عدا (besides, chase, course, forswear, heel, lope, pace, run, scurry, scuttle, sprint, spurt), طقطقة (clack, click, crackle, crackling, pinking, plink, rap, slap, sputter), طقطق (click, crack, crackle, pitter patter, sputter, squeak), ضرب (batter, battery, beat, beat off, belabour, biff, buffet, chastise, connect, curry, description, drub, drubbing, fib, flap, flapping, form, galvanize, genre, go getter, grain, hit, hitting, impact, jabbing, kidney, kind, lace, lace into smb., lam, larrup, let out, lock out, manner, multiplication, multiply, order, overtake, paddle, paste, pasting, poke, pommel, pound, pummel, slash, slosh, sock, sort, stamp, strike, stripe, tan, tanning, thrash, thrashing, thresh, variety, wallop, whip), إزعاج (annoyance, annoying, bother, botheration, discomfort, disquiet, disruption, disturbance, harassing, harassment, importunity, inconvenience, loudness, mischievousness, molestation, movement, nuisance, offence, trouble), ثرثرة (babble, blab, blabber, boastfulness, breeze, cackle, chat, chatter, clatter, gab, gabble, garrulity, gas, gibberish, jabber, jactitation, logorrhea, loquacity, prate, prattle, rattle, talkativeness, tattler, tittle tattle, twaddle, yap), ثرثر (babble, blab, blabber, bluster, chatter, clack, clatter, crack, gabble, gas, gibber, give oneself airs, gossip, jabber, jangle, jaw, natter, palaver, prate, prattle, quack, rap, rumble, shoot one's mouth off, smatter, talk, tattle, twaddle, twitter, yap). (various references) | |
Bulgarian | ситня (mince, pit-a-pat), ситнене, речитатив (cantillation, recitative), ходя с малки леки стъпки, трополя (lumber, rattle, rumble), трополене, леки малки стъпки, празни приказки (babble, eyewash, flim-flam, froth, fudge, gas, jazz, natter, palaver, piffle, talk, tittle tattle, twaddle, wind, yack), потракване (rattle, spatter), потраквам (rattle), дърдоря (cackle, dodder, gab, gabble, jabber, jaw, palaver, prate, tattle), дърдорене (babble, burble, cackle, gab, gabble, jaw, sputter, yap). (various references) | |
Chinese | 急促聲 , 啪"声. (various references) | |
Czech | pleskot, pleskat (lapp), plácat (clap, paddle), repetit, drmolení (gabble), cupkání, cupitat (scuttle, trip). (various references) | |
Danish | fordelingsmønstre (deposit pattern, distribution pattern, drop deposition pattern, drop impaction patter, droplet impact pattern), afsætningsnet (deposit pattern, distribution pattern, drop deposition pattern, drop impaction patter, droplet impact pattern), afsætningsmønstre (deposit pattern, distribution pattern, drop deposition pattern, drop impaction patter, droplet impact pattern). (various references) | |
Dutch | patroon van de afgezette sproeivloeistof (deposit pattern, distribution pattern, drop deposition pattern, drop impaction patter, droplet impact pattern). (various references) | |
Farsi | لهجه محلی (Patois), تندتندحرف زدن (Chatter), ذکرکردن (Assign, Cite, Mention, Ming, Mingle, Specify), بطورسریع وردخواندن . (various references) | |
Finnish | rapista (rustle). (various references) | |
French | trottiner, jargon, frapper, crépiter, crépitement, bruit, bavardage, battre, baratin. (various references) | |
German | prasseln (clatter, crackle, crepitate, drum, hail down, rattle, rattling, roar, to crackle), plätschern (babble, bubble, burble, lap, lapping, plash, ripple, splash), trappeln (clatter, scamper), tippeln (foot it, tiptoe, trip), sprüche (sayings, verdicts), schwatzen (babble, blab, blather, cackle, chat, chatter, drool, gab, gabbings, go on, gossip, jabber, jabber away, natter, prattle, talk, talk away, to blab, to chatter, to twaddle, twaddle, visit), getrappel (clop, pitter patter), geplapper (babble, babbling, chatter, chattiness, jabber, jabbering, prattle, rap), geblödel (baloney, cackle, nonsense, twaddle). (various references) | |
Greek | κτυπώ ελαφρώσ και ταχέωσ, κορακίστικα (lingo, mumbo jumbo), γοργή φλυαρία, ελαφρόσ κτύποσ (tapping). (various references) | |
Hebrew | ל"' (argot, dialect, nonsense, prattle), ז'ר'ון (jargon, lingo, pidgin), קישות (chatter). (various references) | |
Hungarian | tolvajnyelv (argot, cant, pedlar's French, thieves' latin). (various references) | |
Italian | picchiettio, picchiettare (dab, Dot, Pat, speckle, spot, tap), chiacchiere (cackle, cackles, moonshine, palaver, prittle prattle, scandal, small talk). (various references) | |
Japanese Kanji | 三本 め (hand-clapping patter). (various references) | |
Japanese Katakana | さ"ぼ"じめ (hand-clapping patter). (various references) | |
Korean | 재잘거림. (various references) | |
Manx | clabberaght. (various references) | |
Pig Latin | atterpay.(various references) | |
Portuguese | tamborilar (bicker, drum, tattoo, thrum), tagarelice (blab, blather, blether, chat, chatter, chirp chirrup, chitchat, gab, gabble, gossiping, jaw, prate, tittle-tattle), tagarelar (blather, blether, cackle, chat, chatter, chipper, clack, clat, clatter, dodder, gab, gabble, gas, gossip, jabber, jaw, keckle, prate, talk, tattle, tittle-tattle), falar com volubilidade, dizer mecanicamente, calão (argot, jargon, slang), arenga (harangue), aranzel. (various references) | |
Romanian | mers rapid, bãtaie (battue, beat, beating, blow, box, bursting, close, concussion, cudgeling, cuff, cuffing, drubbing, dusting, fight, fighting, flogging, fray, lacing, licking, Pat, pattering, percussion, pick, range, rattle, row, run, scramble, scrap, scuffle, set to, shot, slap, slapping, stroke, sweep, thrashing, throbbing, thud, thump, toll, tussle, warming), bate (bark, baste, bastinado, bay, beat, beat up, beetle, belabour, best, blow, box, bruise, buffet, burst, chastise, chime, clap, club, cob, contend, cuff, curry, dash, defeat, drive, drub, flail, flicker, flog, go, hit, horse, knock, knock in, lace, larrup, lash, lash into, lick, mint, paddle, palpitate, Pat, peal, pound, pulsate, pulse, range, rap, rattle, ring, shake up, shine, slap, smite, sound, spank, strike, swinge, switch, tan, tap, tew, thrash, throb, thwack, tick, tinkle, toll, wallop, whip, worst), flecãrealã (babble, cackle, chatter, chit chat, gabble, gossip, prate, prattle, talk, tattle, tittle tattle), jargon (cant, gibberish, jargon, lingo, slang), lipãi (splatter, squelch), argou (argot, slang), merge cu paşi repezi, vorbire rapidã, rãpãi (chatter, drive, Pat, rattle, splash), rãpãit (Pat, splash), rosti foarte repede, sporovãialã (chatter, jabber, jaw), tropãit (plod), vorbi foarte repede, lipãit (splash, squelch). (various references) | |
Russian | стук дождя (pelt), стук (clatter, clop, con, knock, knocking, pinking, rap, rataplan), условный язык, скороговорка (tongue twister, tongue-twister), топотать, топотание, тараторить (jabber), говорок, говорить скороговоркой, болтовня (badinage, banter, blether, cackle, chat, chatter, chitchat, clatter, confabulation, footle, gab, gammon, gas, gassing, gossip, gup, hubble bubble, jive, mag, piffle, rattle, spiels, tattle, tittle tattle, twaddle, waffle, wish-wash), барабанить стук, барабанить (drum, thrum). (various references) | |
Serbo-Croatian | pljuskati (plash, swash), sitno koračati, sitno koračanje, lupkanje, dobovati (tap), dobovanje (pitter patter, rub a dub), brbljati (babble, jabber, jaw, prattle, yak, yap), blebetanje (waffle), šatrovački jezik (slang). (various references) | |
Spanish | tamborileo (pitter patter, rattle), tamborilear (drum, go pitter-patter, pitter patter), repetir mecánicamente, jerga (argot, cant, jargon, jive, lingo, pig latin, slang), golpecitos (rapping, rat-a-tat, rat-tat-tat), farfullar (babble, botch, gibber, jabber, mutter, splutter), charloteo, charlatanería (palaver, pitch), charlar con (clack, gibber, let out, rap, talk with, tattle), chapurrear (speak badly), caminar con pasitos ligeros. (various references) | |
Swedish | smattra (blare, Bray, clatter), rabbla (babble, gabble). (various references) | |
Turkish | pıtırtı (tap), pıtırdamak, tıpış tıpış yürümek (toddle), tıkırtı (clack, click, clinking, rattling, tap, tick), tıkır tıkır yürümek, hızlı konuşmak (jabber), ayak sesi (footfall, footstep, step, tread), argo (argot, cant, gobbledygook, lingo, slang, slangy, vernacular, vulgarity), çabuk söylenen komik şarkı sözleri, çabuk söylemek, çabuk konuşma. (various references) | |
Ukrainian | скоромовка (tongue twister), соціальний жаргон, речитатив (recitative), говорити скоромовкою, говорити на жаргоні. (various references) | |
Vietnamese | tiếng lóng nh nghề. (various references) | |
Welsh | padera (repeat prayers). (various references) | |
| Source: compiled by the editor from various translation references. | ||
Derivations | |
Words beginning with "patter": pattered, patterer, patterers, pattering, pattern, patterned, patterning, patternings, patternless, patterns, patters. (additional references) | |
Words ending with "patter": bespatter, spatter, standpatter. (additional references) | |
Words containing "patter": bespattered, bespattering, bespatters, repattern, repatterned, repatterning, repatterns, spatterdock, spatterdocks, spattered, spattering, spatters, standpatters. (additional references) | |
| |
"Patter" is suggested in spellcheckers for the following: apter, epater, Pachta, pachter, padder, Panter, Parter, Patar, Patara, patera, Paterra, patet, pather, Patitvr, patner, patrem, patta, Pattar, patte, patterm, pattu, patzer, peater, Pechter, petter, Pfauter, pintter, pitar, pitre, Pittori, pltter, ptate, pter. (additional references) | |
| Source: compiled by the editor, based on several corpora (additional references). | |
| # of Phoneme Matches | Pronunciation | Word(s) rhyming with "patter" (pronounced pa"ter) |
| 4 | p a" t er | spatter. |
| 3 | -a" t er | attar, batter, Blatter, chatter, clatter, fatter, flatter, hatter, latter, matter, natter, platter, scatter, shatter, smatter, splatter, Tatar, tatter. |
Source: compiled by the editor (additional references); see credits. | ||
Scrabble® Enable2K-Verified Anagrams | |
| Words within the letters "a-e-p-r-t-t" | |
-1 letter: apter, pater, peart, prate, taper, tater, tetra, trapt, treat. | |
-2 letters: aper, pare, part, pate, pear, peat, pert, prat, rape, rapt, rate, reap, tape, tare, tarp, tart, tate, tear, teat, tepa, trap, tret. | |
-3 letters: ape, apt, are, art, ate, att, ear, eat, era, eta, par, pat, pea, per, pet, rap, rat, rep, ret, tae. | |
| Words containing the letters "a-e-p-r-t-t" | |
+1 letter: partite, partlet, pattern, patters, platter, prattle, reptant, spatter, tapster. | |
+2 letters: attemper, operetta, partlets, patentor, pattered, patterer, patterns, peartest, platters, prattled, prattler, prattles, pretaste, pretreat, prostate, spatters, splatter, sprattle, tapestry, tapsters, tetrapod, transept, trapnest, triptane, upstater. | |
+3 letters: abruptest, apartment, aspartate, attempers, bespatter, bipartite, crepitant, crepitate, deathtrap, extirpate, impetrate, operettas, paltriest, pargetted, partitive, pastorate, patentors, paternity, patienter, patterers, pattering, patterned, penetrant, penetrate, poetaster, portative, prattlers, prebattle, pretasted, pretastes, pretreats, privatest, prostates, prostrate, protonate, reattempt, repattern, repentant, saltpeter, spattered, spectator, splatters, sprattled, sprattles, temperate, tetrapods, therapist, transepts, trapezist, trapnests, trepidant, triptanes, upstarted, upstaters, vaporetti, vaporetto. | |
| Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits. SCRABBLE® is a registered trademark. All intellectual property rights in and to the game are owned in the U.S.A and Canada by Hasbro Inc., and throughout the rest of the world by J.W. Spear & Sons Limited of Maidenhead, Berkshire, England, a subsidiary of Mattel Inc. Mattel and Spear are not affiliated with Hasbro. | |
| 1. Definition 2. Synonyms 3. Crosswords 4. Usage: Modern | 5. Usage: Commercial 6. Sounds 7. Quotations: Familiar 8. Quotations: Non-fiction | 9. Usage Frequency 10. Names: Frequency 11. Expressions 12. Expressions: Internet | 13. Translations: Modern 14. Derivations 15. Rhymes 16. Anagrams | 17. Bibliography |
Copyright © Philip M. Parker, INSEAD. Terms of Use.
