noun / verb
patter
PAT-er/ˈpætər/
A series of light rapid tapping sounds.
She listens to the patter of rain on the metal sill.
Etymology
Rapidly mumbled prayer broadened into rapid chatter. The noun first referred to the cant of thieves and beggars, then to the fluent talk of entertainers and salespeople.
In context
when you do patter exactly the way it is in the person who performs it
More examples
- Small paws patter across the kitchen floor.
- Raindrops pattered against the window all night.
- We hear the patter of little feet upstairs.
Forms
patter · patters · pattered · pattering
Similar words
- tapping
- Tapping can be slower and need not form a rapid series.
- pitter-patter
- Pitter-patter emphasizes a soft, quick rhythm, especially rain or footsteps.