• (British) IPA: /ˈtʃætə/
• (America) enPR: chătʹər, IPA: /ˈtʃætɚ/

chatter (uncountable)

1. Talk, especially meaningless or unimportant talk.
2. The sound of talking.
3. The sound made by a magpie.
4. An intermittent noise, as from vibration.

   Proper brake adjustment will help to reduce the chatter.

5. In national security, the degree of communication between suspect groups and individuals, used to gauge the degree of expected terrorist activity.

   The NSA is concerned about increased chatter between known terror groups.

• (talk) chattering, chatting, nattering
• See also Thesaurus:chatter

• French: jacassement, bagou
• German: Geplapper, Gequatsche, Geschnatter, Gequake, Geschwätz, Gequassel
• Italian: chiacchierio, chiacchiericcio
• Portuguese: falatório
• Russian: болтовня́
• Spanish: parloteo, cotorreo, cháchara, palique

• Italian: brusio, mormorio
• Portuguese: burburinho

• French: jacassement
• Italian: gracidio, gracchio

• Italian: vibrazione, stridio, cigolio
• Portuguese: zumbido

chatter (chatters, present participle chattering; past and past participle chattered)

1. (intransitive) To talk idly.

   They knitted and chattered the whole time.

   • c. 1590–1592, William Shakespeare, “The Taming of the Shrew”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies: Published According to the True Originall Copies (First Folio), London: Printed by Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, OCLC 606515358 ↗, [Act IV, scene ii]:

     To tame a shrew, and charm her chattering tongue.

2. (intransitive) Of teeth, machinery, etc, to make a noise by rapid collisions.

   He was so cold that his teeth were chattering.

3. To utter sounds which somewhat resemble language, but are inarticulate and indistinct.

   • The jaw makes answer, as the magpie chatters.

• (talk idly) chat, natter
• (make a chattering noise) clatter, knock, pink (said of an engine)

• French: jacasser, bavarder
• German: plaudern, schwatzen
• Portuguese: papear, bater papo
• Russian: болта́ть
• Spanish: parlotear, cotorrear

• Russian: стуча́ть зуба́ми

chatter (plural chatters)

1. one who chats
2. (Internet) a user of chat rooms