# patter
## English
### Pronunciation

* (Received Pronunciation) IPA: /ˈpæt.ə/
* (General American) IPA: /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)
* 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
#### Verb

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

patter (third-person singular simple present patters, present participle pattering, simple past and past participle pattered)
* 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.
* (intransitive, obsolete) To repeat the Lord's Prayer.
* (intransitive, obsolete) To pray.
* (transitive, obsolete) To repeat hurriedly; to mutter.

##### Translations
### Etymology 3

From pat +‎ -er (“agent”).

#### Noun

patter (plural patters)
* 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.

### References

* 1 2 Douglas Harper (2001–2024) “patter”, in Online Etymology Dictionary.

### Anagrams

* Pratte, p'tater

## Danish
### Noun

patter
* indefinite plural of patte

### Verb

patter
* present of patte

## Norwegian Bokmål
### Noun

patter m
* indefinite plural of patte

## Norwegian Nynorsk
### Alternative forms

* pattar

### Noun

patter
* indefinite feminine plural of patte