chattered; chattering; chatters
1
: to utter rapid short sounds suggestive of language but inarticulate and indistinct
squirrels chattered angrily
2
: to talk idly, incessantly, or fast
3
a
: to click repeatedly or uncontrollably
teeth chattering with cold
b
: to vibrate rapidly in cutting
a chattering tool
c
: to vibrate especially audibly as a consequence of repeated sticking and slipping
chattering brakes
: to utter rapidly, idly, or indistinctly
chatterer
noun
1
: the action or sound of chattering
2
: idle talk : prattle
3
: electronic and especially radio communication between individuals engaged in a common or related form of activity
also
: such chatter regarding future hostile activities
4
: a person who participates in online chat
Excite, Inc. … reports that users log a total of 7.5 to 8 million chat minutes on an average day. Half of online chatters are aged 18 to 34, and 15 percent are under age 17.—
Rebecca Piirto Heath
Rebecca Piirto HeathSynonyms
Examples of chatter in a Sentence
Verb
Children chattered in the middle of the playground.
My teeth were chattering from the cold.
Birds chattered in the trees.
Noun
heard the chatter of squirrels
pleasant chatter over morning coffee
Recent Examples on the WebStephen Clark, Ars Technica, 7 May 2024
Minutes earlier, a police radio had started chattering across town with its next call: There was a domestic disturbance a few blocks away from Amante Pizza, police said.
—Kayla Canne, USA TODAY, 20 Apr. 2024
Meghan Hall, Sourcing Journal, 21 June 2024
The quiet of the field slowly gave way to the chatter of players stepping out from the facility’s main building.
—Kylie Volavongsa, Kansas City Star, 21 June 2024
See all Example Sentences for chatter 
Verb
This chattering or buzzing sound was associated with rapid movement of the relief valve.
—Stephen Clark, Ars Technica, 7 May 2024
Minutes earlier, a police radio had started chattering across town with its next call: There was a domestic disturbance a few blocks away from Amante Pizza, police said.
—Kayla Canne, USA TODAY, 20 Apr. 2024
Noun
Brands speaking at the event, which brought hundreds of attendees together to talk shop, had a particular focus on marketing and sales, with a great deal of chatter around loyalty programs and third-party marketplace platforms, like TikTok Shop.
—Meghan Hall, Sourcing Journal, 21 June 2024
The quiet of the field slowly gave way to the chatter of players stepping out from the facility’s main building.
—Kylie Volavongsa, Kansas City Star, 21 June 2024
See all Example Sentences for chatter
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'chatter.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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Dictionary Entries Near chatter
Cite this Entry
“Chatter.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/chatter. Accessed 2 Jul. 2024.
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