Pat"ter, n. The language or oratory of a street peddler, conjurer, or the like, hence, glib talk; a voluble harangue; mere talk; chatter; also, specif., rapid speech, esp. as sometimes introduced in songs. [Cant or Colloq.]

Pat"ter (?), v. i. [imp. & p. p. Pattered (?); p. pr. & vb. n. Pattering.] [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. [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. [See Patter, v. i., 2.] 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"ter, n. The language or oratory of a street peddler, conjurer, or the like, hence, glib talk; a voluble harangue; mere talk; chatter; also, specif., rapid speech, esp. as sometimes introduced in songs. [Cant or Colloq.]