Pat"ter (?), v. i. [imp. & p. p. Pattered (?); p. pr. & vb. n. Pattering.] [Freq. of pat to strike gently.]
1.
To strike with a quick succession of slight, sharp sounds; as, pattering rain or hail; pattering feet.
The stealing shower is scarce to patter heard.
Thomson.
2.
To mutter; to mumble; as, to patter with the lips. Tyndale. [In this sense, and in the following, perh. from paternoster.]
3.
To talk glibly; to chatter; to harangue. [Colloq.]
I've gone out and pattered to get money.
Mayhew.
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Pat"ter, v. t.
1.
To spatter; to sprinkle. [R.] "And patter the water about the boat." J. R. Drake.
2. [See Patter, v. i., 2.]
To mutter; as prayers.
[The hooded clouds] patter their doleful prayers.
Longfellow.
To patter flash, to talk in thieves' cant. [Slang]
© Webster 1913
Pat"ter, n.
1.
A quick succession of slight sounds; as, the patter of rain; the patter of little feet.
2.
Glib and rapid speech; a voluble harangue.
3.
The cant of a class; patois; as, thieves's patter; gypsies' patter.
© Webster 1913
Pat"ter, n.
The language or oratory of a street peddler, conjurer, or the like, hence, glib talk; a voluble harangue; mere talk; chatter; also, specif., rapid speech, esp. as sometimes introduced in songs. [Cant or Colloq.]
© Webster 1913