patter

See also: Pätter

English

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /ˈpæt.ə/
• (General American) IPA^(key): /ˈpæt.ɚ/

• Audio (Southern England):

  (file)

• Rhymes: -ætə(ɹ)

Etymology 1

1610s, pat +‎ -er (“frequentative (indicating repeated action)”), of (onomatopoeia) origin.

Noun

patter (plural patters)

1. A soft repeated sound, as of rain falling, or feet walking on a hard surface.

   I could hear the patter of mice running about in the dark.

   • 1907 January, Harold Bindloss, chapter 7, in The Dust of Conflict, 1st Canadian edition, Toronto, Ont.: McLeod & Allen, →OCLC:

     The patter of feet, and clatter of strap and swivel, seemed to swell into a bewildering din, but they were almost upon the fielato offices, where the carretera entered the town, before a rifle flashed.

Derived terms

• pattersome
• pitter-patter

Translations

soft repeated sound

• Bulgarian: барабанене n (barabanene), трополене (bg) n (tropolene)
• Czech: ťukání n, pleskání n, klapot m
• Dutch: getrippel (nl)
• Finnish: tepsutus (fi)
• German: Trippeln n
• Italian: picchiettio
• Russian: то́пот (ru) m (tópot), топота́ние (ru) n (topotánije)
• Spanish: pisada (es) f
• Ukrainian: стукіт m (stukit), тупотіння n (tupotinnja), дріботіння n (dribotinnja)

Verb

patter (third-person singular simple present patters, present participle pattering, simple past and past participle pattered)

1. To make irregularly repeated sounds of low-to-moderate magnitude and lower-than-average pitch.

   The bullets pattered into the log-cabin walls.

   • a. 1749 (date written), James Thomson, “Spring”, in The Seasons, London: […] A[ndrew] Millar, and sold by Thomas Cadell, […], published 1768, →OCLC:

     The stealing shower […] 'Tis scarce to patter heard.

2. To spatter; to sprinkle.
   • 1819 (published in 1835) Joseph Rodman Drake, s:The Culprit Fay

     Patter the water about the boat.

Derived terms

• patterer
• patter flash

Translations

to make irregularly repeated sounds

• Bulgarian: барабаня (bg) (barabanja), трополя (bg) (tropolja)
• Czech: ťukat (cs) impf, bubnovat impf, pleskat impf
• Finnish: rapsahdella (fi)
• Russian: бараба́нить (ru) impf (barabánitʹ)
• Spanish: golpetear (es)
• Ukrainian: барабанити (uk) (barabanyty), дріботіти (dribotity), тарабанити (tarabanyty), стукати (stukaty)

Etymology 2

Noun is from Middle English pater, verb is from Middle English pateren.

Noun attested 1758, originally referring to the cant of thieves and beggers.

Noun

patter (countable and uncountable, plural patters)

1. Glib and rapid speech, such as from an auctioneer or a sports commentator.
   • 1887, Gilbert and Sullivan (lyrics and music), “My Eyes Are Fully Open”, in Ruddigore:

     This particularly rapid, unintelligible patter isn't generally heard, and if it is it doesn't matter.

   • 1975, Garry Marshall et al., “Richie's Flip Side”, in Happy Days, season 2, episode 21, spoken by Richie Cunningham (Ron Howard):

     Dad, I want to be a jock. All a jock needs is some hep patter and a real gone image. Now, they just don't teach that jazz in college.

   • 2010 April 7, Kevin Shinick, “Blob Gets Job” (16:32 from the start), in Ugly Americans‎^[1], season 1, episode 4, spoken by Mark Lilly (Matt Oberg):

     “Did you say the bodies are getting mixed together with the toxic waste?” [sigh] “Now I got to look at the brochure. Yeah, that's what it says.” “By the way, you're really gonna have to work on your patter a little bit.”

   • 2017, Jamie Bartlett, chapter 5, in Radicals, William Heinemann, →ISBN:

     As a young man he [Beppe Grillo] performed with a guitar in local bars, but fans preferred his pre-show patter, and he evolved into a successful stand-up comedian.

Derived terms

• Glasgow patter
• patter song

Translations

glib and rapid speech

• Bulgarian: скоропоговорка f (skoropogovorka)
• Czech: žvanění n, řeči (cs) f pl, řečičky f pl
• Finnish: paukutus (fi)
• German: Geplapper (de)
• Portuguese: jargão (pt) m, gíria (pt) f
• Russian: скорогово́рка (ru) f (skorogovórka), говоро́к (ru) m (govorók)
• Spanish: rollo (es) m, parloteo (es) m

Verb

patter (third-person singular simple present patters, present participle pattering, simple past and past participle pattered)

1. To speak glibly and rapidly, as does an auctioneer or a sports commentator.
   • 1851, Henry Mayhew, London Labour and the London Poor; […], volume I (The London Street-folk. Book the First.), London: [George Woodfall], →OCLC, page 379:

     He showed a little of the pride of art in describing the management of his business, but he would not hear that he “pattered:” he talked to his customers, he declared, as any draper, who knew his business well, might talk to his.

2. (intransitive, obsolete) To repeat the Lord's Prayer.
3. (intransitive, obsolete) To pray.
4. (transitive, obsolete) To repeat hurriedly; to mutter.

Translations

to speak glibly and rapidly

• Bulgarian: дърдоря (bg) (dǎrdorja)
• Finnish: paukuttaa (fi)
• German: plappern (de)
• Hungarian: pörög a nyelve
• Russian: тарато́рить (ru) impf (taratóritʹ), говори́ть скорогово́ркой impf (govorítʹ skorogovórkoj), треща́ть (ru) impf (treščátʹ) (colloquial)
• Spanish: parlotear (es)

Etymology 3

From pat +‎ -er (“agent”).

Noun

patter (plural patters)

1. One who pats.
   • 1981, Jackie Cooper, Richard Kleiner, Please Shoot Dog, page 50:

     I used to hate head patters, and I have realized that all children dislike being patted on the head.

Anagrams

• Pratte, p'tater

Danish

Noun

patter

1. indefinite plural of patte

Verb

patter

1. present of patte

Norwegian Bokmål

Noun

patter m

1. indefinite plural of patte

Norwegian Nynorsk

Alternative forms

• pattar

Noun

patter

1. indefinite feminine plural of patte