Meaning

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

Definitions by Sense

1. A soft repeated sound, as of rain falling, or feet walking on a hard surface.
2. To make irregularly repeated sounds of low-to-moderate magnitude and lower-than-average pitch.
3. To spatter; to sprinkle.
4. Glib and rapid speech, such as from an auctioneer, a sports commentator, or a salesperson with a slick style of selling.
5. To speak glibly and rapidly, as does an auctioneer or a sports commentator.
6. (intransitive, obsolete) To repeat the Lord's Prayer.
7. (intransitive, obsolete) To pray.
8. (transitive, obsolete) To repeat hurriedly; to mutter.

Example Sentences

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

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.

The bullets pattered into the log-cabin walls.

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

1819 (published in 1835) Joseph Rodman Drake, The Culprit Fay Patter the water about the boat.

sales patter

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

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.

Word Forms

• patters
• pattering
• pattered

Synonyms for patter

Related Words

When Should You Use Patter?

Use patter when its meaning, tone and grammar fit the full sentence. A synonym is not always a direct replacement.

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