chatter

Meanings

Noun

• Talk, especially meaningless or unimportant talk.
• The sound of talking.
• The vocalisations of a Eurasian magpie, Pica pica.
• The vocalisations of various birds or other animals.
• An intermittent noise, as from vibration.
• In national security, the degree of communication between suspect groups and individuals, used to gauge the degree of expected terrorist activity.
• The situation where a drill or similar tool vibrates and tears the material rather than cutting it cleanly.
• One who chats.
• A user of chat rooms.

Verb

• To talk idly.
• Of teeth, machinery, etc, to make a noise by rapid collisions.
• To utter sounds which somewhat resemble language, but are inarticulate and indistinct.

Origin

• From Middle English chateren, from earlier cheteren, chiteren, of imitative origin. Compare West Frisian tsjotterje, Dutch schateren, schetteren, Dutch koeteren, dialectal German kaudern, Danish kvidre.
• chat + -er