smatter
From Wiktionary, the free dictionary
See also: s'matter
Etymology
From Middle English smatteren, smateren. Compare Swedish smattra, Danish and Norwegian smadre (all of which mean to patter), German schmettern (“to resound”).
Pronunciation
- (Received Pronunciation) IPA(key): /ˈsmæ.tə/
- (General American) IPA(key): /ˈsmæ.təɹ/, [ˈsmæ.ɾɚ]
Audio (US): (file) - Rhymes: -ætə(ɹ)
Verb
smatter (third-person singular simple present smatters, present participle smattering, simple past and past participle smattered)
- (intransitive) To talk superficially; to babble, chatter.
- 1533, John Heywood, A Mery Play Betwene the Pardoner and the Frere, London: Wyllyam Rastell:
- What standest thou there all the day smatterynge
- c. 1591–1595 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of Romeo and Ivliet”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act III, scene v]:
- And why, my lady wisdom? hold your tongue,
Good prudence; smatter with your gossips, go.
- 1733, Jonathan Swift “On Poetry” in The Poetical Works of Jonathan Swift, London: William Pickering, 1833, Volume 2, pp. 63-64,
- For poets, law makes no provision;
- The wealthy have you in derision:
- Of state affairs you cannot smatter;
- Are awkward when you try to flatter;
- (transitive) To speak (a language) with spotty or superficial knowledge.
- 1891, Robert Louis Stevenson, chapter 2, in In the South Seas, New York: Scribner, published 1896, page 9:
- The languages of Polynesia are easy to smatter, though hard to speak with elegance.
- (transitive, figuratively) To study or approach superficially; to dabble in.
- To have a slight taste, or a slight, superficial knowledge, of anything; to smack.
Derived terms
Translations
intransitive: talk superficially
|
to speak (a language) with spotty or superficial knowledge
|
to study or approach superficially
Noun
smatter (plural smatters)
- A smattering (small number or amount).
- a smatter of applause
- A smattering (superficial knowledge).
Anagrams
Etymology
Noun
smatter n
- short, sharp, quickly repeating noises, like large raindrops against a window or someone typing quickly on a typewriter, spatter
Declension
Declension of smatter
References
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