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# patter

«patter» in Mova's school dictionary: **A quick, light, tapping sound, like rain or small feet** — its meaning for a pupil, its sense in the lessons and examples, with 3 sentences of Mova's corpora that use it.

### part of speech

noun (patter, the patter of); verb (patter, patters, pattered, pattering)

### meaning for a pupil

1) A quick, light, tapping sound, like rain or small feet. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/P/patter/#m1)

2) (verb) To make that sound or move with quick light steps. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/P/patter/#m2)

3) Fast, clever talk used by a salesperson, comedian or magician. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/P/patter/#m3)

4) (Scotland, informal) Chat and jokes: «He's got great patter.» [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/P/patter/#m4)

### sense in the lessons

In stories «the patter of rain» or «the patter of tiny feet» helps the reader hear the scene. In everyday life and safety, a salesman's patter can trick you into buying. Phrases: the patter of rain, the patter of tiny feet, sales patter.

### examples

- I love the patter of rain on the roof. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/P/patter/#x1)
- We heard the patter of the cat's paws. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/P/patter/#x2)
- Little feet pattered down the hall. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/P/patter/#x3)
- The magician's patter kept us laughing. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/P/patter/#x4)
- Don't be fooled by the salesman's patter. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/P/patter/#x5)
- My uncle in Glasgow has great patter. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/P/patter/#x6)
- In a few minutes they heard the pattering of tiny feet, and many of the small gray mice came running up to her. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/P/patter/#x7)

### note

Regular verb: pattered. Do not confuse with «pattern» or «potter». Uncountable as «talk».

### In the corpora

- [I've done with him!» — but Toad came pattering after them.](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/books/32-willows-ch2-part4-the-wreck-and-the-new-craze/32/)
- [Then the pattering begins: little feet, closing in from every side like hail.](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/books/34-willows-ch3-part2-the-terror-of-the-wild-wood/5/)
- ["The patter of tiny feet" means a baby that is expected or wanted (jokey).](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/euphemisms/11-pregnancy-and-birth/9/)

### Trees and pragmatics

[Every meaning and example of «patter» parsed by Mova](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/P/patter/), each sentence with its dependency tree and frames.