PATTERING

Verb

pattering

present participle of patter

Noun

pattering (plural patterings)

Groupings of frequent irregularly repeated sounds of moderate magnitude and lower-than-average pitch.

Source: Wiktionary

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PATTER

Pat"ter, v. i. [imp. & p. p. Pattered; p. pr. & vb. n. Pattering.] Etym: [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. Etym: [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.

Pat"ter, v. t.

1. To spatter; to sprinkle. [R.] "And patter the water about the boat." J. R. Drake.

2. Etym: [See Patter, v. i., 2.]

Definition: To mutter; as prayers. [The hooded clouds] patter their doleful prayers. Longfellow. To patter flash, to talk in thieves' cant. [Slang]

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.

PAT

Pat, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Patted; p. pr. & vb. n. Patting.] Etym: [Cf. G. patschen, Prov. G. patzen, to strike, tap.]

Definition: To strike gently with the fingers or hand; to stroke lightly; to tap; as, to pat a dog. Gay pats my shoulder, and you vanish quite. Pope.

Pat, n.

1. A light, quik blow or stroke with the fingers or hand; a tap.

2. A small mass, as of butter, shaped by pats. It looked like a tessellated work of pats of butter. Dickens.

Pat, a. Etym: [Cf. pat a light blow, D. te pas convenient, pat, where pas is fr. F. passer to pass.]

Definition: Exactly suitable; fit; convenient; timely. "Pat allusion." Barrow.

Pat, adv.

Definition: In a pat manner. I foresaw then 't would come in pat hereafter. Sterne.

Source: Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary 1913 Edition

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