• (RP) IPA: /ˈtʃætə/
• (America) enPR: chătʹər, IPA: /ˈt͡ʃætɚ/

From Middle English chateren, from earlier cheteren, chiteren, of imitative origin.

chatter (uncountable)

1. Talk, especially meaningless or unimportant talk.

   Synonyms: chattering, chatting, nattering, Thesaurus:chatter

2. The sound of talking.
3. The vocalisations of a Eurasian magpie, Pica pica.
4. The vocalisations of various birds or other animals.
   • 1912, Arthur Conan Doyle, “‘The Outlying Pickets of the New World’”, in The Lost World […], London; New York, N.Y.: Hodder and Stoughton, →OCLC ↗, page 114 ↗:

     At dawn and at sunset the howler monkeys screamed together and the parakeets broke into shrill chatter, but during the hot hours of the day only the full drone of insects, like the beat of a distant surf, filled the ear, while nothing moved amid the solemn vistas of stupendous trunks, fading away into the darkness which held us in.

   • 2016, Cornelia F. Mutel, A Sugar Creek Chronicle, page 41:

     The wind rose as the earth darkened, so that fading chatters of woodland animals were countered by the strengthening sounds of waving trees […]

5. An intermittent noise, as from vibration.

   Proper brake adjustment will help to reduce the chatter.

6. (uncountable) 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.

7. (uncountable) The situation where a drill or similar tool vibrates and tears the material rather than cutting it cleanly.

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

• French: blabla, bavardage, brouhaha
• Italian: brusio, mormorio
• Portuguese: burburinho
• Spanish: barullo, vocerío

• French: jacassement
• Italian: gracidio, gracchio

• French: ronron, vrombissement
• Italian: vibrazione, stridio, cigolio
• Portuguese: zumbido

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

1. (intransitive) To talk idly.

   Synonyms: chat, natter

   They knitted and chattered the whole time.

   • c. 1590–1592 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Taming of the Shrew”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC ↗, [Act IV, scene ii], page 222 ↗:

     That teacheth trickes eleuen and twentie long, / To tame a ſhrew, and charme her chattering tongue.

2. (intransitive, of teeth, machinery, etc.) To make a noise by rapid collisions.

   Synonyms: clatter, gnash, grind, pink

   He was so cold that his teeth were chattering.

3. To utter sounds which somewhat resemble language, but are inarticulate and indistinct.
   • 1815 [1802], William Wordsworth, Resolution and Independence:

     The jay makes answer, as the magpie chatters with delight.

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

• French: claquer, gazouiller (of bird song)
• German: klappern
• Russian: стучать зубами

• French: baragouiner, marmonner
• German: kauderwelschen, kaudern (regional)

chatter (plural chatters)

1. One who chats.
2. (Internet) A user of chat rooms.