chatterchat‧ter1 /ˈtʃætə $ -ər/ verb [intransitive] 
Word Origin Examples
She chattered away happily until she noticed I wasn’t listening. She chattered excitedly like a child.chatter about We were chattering about the events of last night.2if birds or monkeys chatter, they make short high sounds3if your teeth are chattering, you are so cold or frightened that your teeth are knocking together4the chattering classes British English educated middle-class people who like to discuss and have opinions about recent events and situations in society—chatterer noun [countable]
Word OriginWORD ORIGINchatter1
Verb TableOrigin:
1200-1300 From the soundVERB TABLE
chatter
| Simple Form | ||
| Present | I, you, we, they | chatter |
| he, she, it | chatters | |
| Past | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | chattered |
| Present perfect | I, you, we, they | have chattered |
| he, she, it | has chattered | |
| Past perfect | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | had chattered |
| Future | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | will chatter |
| Future perfect | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | will have chattered |
| Continuous Form | ||
| Present | I | am chattering |
| he, she, it | is chattering | |
| you, we, they | are chattering | |
| Past | I, he, she, it | was chattering |
| you, we, they | were chattering | |
| Present perfect | I, you, we, they | have been chattering |
| he, she, it | has been chattering | |
| Past perfect | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | had been chattering |
| Future | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | will be chattering |
| Future perfect | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | will have been chattering |
EXAMPLES FROM OTHER DICTIONARIES
Thesaurus- I could hear the boys chattering away in the other room.
- Michele sat there chattering about her minor ailments to anyone who would listen.
- The tiny gray-haired woman chattered continuously as she demonstrated how to make a tortilla.
- They poured out of the school chattering with their friends.
- A few minutes later Dexter watched the printer chatter out around two and a half thousand names and addresses.
- A teleprinter was chattering away in the corner.
- Its automatic weapons chatter nightly, and mortars crump in reply.
- Mitchell had forgotten she chattered a lot, this inflated gaiety, whenever she was hyper or high.
- People chattering, doors opening and closing, loud male greetings, the level of noise rising.
- The radio suddenly chatters into life; the phone rings ...
Longman Language Activatorto talk to someone for a long time about unimportant things► gossip
Collocations to spend time talking to someone, especially someone you are friendly with, about things that are not particularly serious or important: · Cocteau's jazz club was the spot where artists gossiped and drank.gossip with: · I wasn't doing anything important - just gossiping with a neighbour.
► chatter to talk continuously for a long time about unimportant things - used especially in literature: · The tiny gray-haired woman chattered continuously as she demonstrated how to make a tortilla.chatter with: · They poured out of the school chattering with their friends.chatter about: · Michele sat there chattering about her minor ailments to anyone who would listen.chatter away/on (=continuously): · I could hear the boys chattering away in the other room.
► natter British informal if two people natter , they talk continuously for a long time about unimportant things: natter with: · I can't stand about nattering all day with you natter about: · Keith and Tom were nattering about cars and not doing a stroke of work.
► pass the time of day to have a short, friendly conversation about unimportant things with someone you know, especially when you meet them by chance: · I just thought I'd stop by and pass the time of day.pass the time of day with: · Whenever we met in the street, Mr. Kelly would stop and pass the time of day with me.
► shoot the breeze American informal to have an informal conversation about unimportant things: · The men spent their evenings on the porch, shooting the breeze.shoot the breeze with: · Hemingway came into the bar almost every morning to read the papers, shoot the breeze with the regulars, and enjoy bracing double daiquiris.
WORD SETS► COLOURS & SOUNDSablaze, adjectiveacoustic, adjectiveacoustics, nounaglow, adjectivebaa, verbbabble, verbbabble, nounbabel, nounbaby talk, nounbackfire, verbbackground, nounbang, nounbang, verbbang, interjectionbark, verbbark, nounbattle cry, nounbay, verbbeat, verbbeat, nounbellow, verbbellow, nounblare, verbblast, nounbleat, verbbleep, nounbleep, verbblip, nounbong, nounboom, nounboom, verbbowwow, interjectionbrassy, adjectivebray, verbbrazen, adjectivebreathy, adjectivebubble, verbbump, nounchatter, verbchatter, nounclink, verbclink, nouncrack, verbcrack, nouncrackle, verbcrackling, nouncrash, verbcrash, nouncreak, verbcreaky, adjectivecroak, verbcroak, nouncrow, nouncrow, verbcrunch, nouncrunch, verbding-dong, noundiscord, noundiscordant, adjectivedrone, verbdrone, noundrown, verbdrum, verbdrumbeat, noundrumming, noundull, adjectiveecho, verbecho, nounfizz, verbflat, adjectivefootfall, nounfootstep, nounfusillade, noungrinding, adjectivegroan, verbgroan, noungrunt, verbgrunt, nounguffaw, verbgunshot, nounguttural, adjectivehigh, adjectivehigh, adverbhiss, verbindistinct, adjectiveirregular, adjectivelow, verbmarbled, adjectivematching, adjectivemellow, adjectivemelodic, adjectivemelodious, adjectivemetallic, adjectivemoan, verbmoan, nounmodulate, verbmonotone, nounmoo, verbmurmur, verbmurmur, nounmusical, adjectivemusically, adverbmute, verbnasal, adjectivenoise, nounoink, interjectionoof, interjectionpatter, verbpatter, nounpeal, nounpeal, verbpenetrating, adjectivepercussion, nounpsychedelic, adjectivepulse, nounputter, verbquack, verbquack, nounquaver, nounracket, nounrasp, verbrasp, nounraspberry, nounrat-a-tat, nounrattle, nounraucous, adjectivereedy, adjectivereport, nounresonance, nounresonant, adjectiveresonate, verbresonator, nounresound, verbresounding, adjectivereverberate, verbreverberation, nounrich, adjectivering, nounring, verbringing, adjectiveripple, verbripple, nounroar, nounroaring, adjectiveroll, verbrough, adjectiverustle, verbrustle, nounscratch, verbscratch, nounscream, verbscream, nounscrunch, verbsmoky, adjectivesnarl, verbsoft, adjectivesoft-spoken, adjectivesonorous, adjectivesotto voce, adverbsplosh, verbsweet, adjectiveswoosh, verbtick-tock, nountinny, adjectivetonal, adjectivevivid, adjectivevowel, nounwail, verbweak, adjectivewhack, nounwham, interjectionwhine, verbwhinny, verbwhirr, verbwhistle, verbwhistle, nounyelp, nounyowl, verbzoom, noun
COLLOCATIONS FROM OTHER ENTRIES► idle chatter/talk/gossip etc► somebody’s teeth chatter
Phrases (=hit together quickly because someone is cold or afraid)· My teeth began to chatter, and I regretted leaving my jacket behind.
COLLOCATIONS FROM THE CORPUSADVERB► away· A teleprinter was chattering away in the corner.· Janir rode in his carrier on our way home, chattering away in a language of his own invention.· The girls began to chatter away.· Miguel could hear Firebug chattering away.· Oshkosh reverberated with the sound of 18 Wright Cyclone radial engines chattering away.· Machinery was switched on and chattering away to itself.· Small, informal groups of people are likely to chatter away nineteen-to-the-dozen.· All sitting, chattering away like starlings.
► on· They chattered on among themselves, oblivious to the world at large, lovingly cared for in this cozy place.· Charity let Mandy chatter on and on, offering no comment, her feelings frozen somewhere deep within her.· I've been chattering on far too long.
NOUN► tooth· Can't you hear her teeth chattering in the night?· She shivered and her teeth chattered.· My teeth are chattering like mad.· My teeth were chattering, and the juice from the pear was dripping over my red wool mittens.· My teeth were still chattering when the phone rang.· His teeth chattered as he stood in front of the table.· Doug's teeth begin to chatter.· Wyatt was there, too, and Cyril as well, their teeth chattering in shock.
PHRASES FROM THE ENTRY► the chattering classes
1 (also chatter away/on) to talk quickly in a friendly way without stopping, especially about things that are not serious or important: - Hamlet re-visited, or Art aspiring to the condition of group therapy for the chattering classes?
- No ordinary person wants them any more, though they will for years to come provide talking points for the chattering classes.
- The chattering classes of Blackheath may find his food digestible enough, but my cellmate Paul was flabbergasted.
She chattered away happily until she noticed I wasn’t listening. She chattered excitedly like a child.chatter about We were chattering about the events of last night.2if birds or monkeys chatter, they make short high sounds3if your teeth are chattering, you are so cold or frightened that your teeth are knocking together4the chattering classes British English educated middle-class people who like to discuss and have opinions about recent events and situations in society—chatterer noun [countable]