Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • intransitive verb To twitter or chatter, as a bird.

from The Century Dictionary.

  • To chirp; twitter.
  • noun In coalmining, a seam of coal separated from another by a thin band of shale or clay.
  • noun A thin stratum of clay ironstone.
  • To shiver; shake, as with cold.
  • To chatter.
  • noun The chattering or twittering of birds.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • intransitive verb obsolete To chirp in a tremulous manner, as a bird.
  • intransitive verb Scot. To shiver or chatter with cold.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • verb To make a series of high-pitched sounds; to twitter, chirp or chatter.
  • verb obsolete, Scotland To shiver or chatter with cold.

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • verb make high-pitched sounds, as of birds

Etymologies

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition

[Middle English chiteren, of imitative origin.]

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

From Middle English word chiteron.

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Examples

  • The moment his eyes fell upon madam of the fluffy hair, he burst out with a loud, rapid woodpecker "chitter," gradually growing higher in key and louder in tone.

    A Bird-Lover in the West Olive Thorne Miller 1874

  • They gasp, Helena with them, and chitter amongst themselves.

    The Iron Maiden « A Fly in Amber 2009

  • Welcome to the liveblog of the political chitter-chat shows that we are forced to contend with in order to understand the minds of your political figures (addled) and the men and women who cover them (needy).

    TV SoundOff: Sunday Talking Heads Jason Linkins 2011

  • They chitter, chatter and chirrup, twitching their tails as if they were furry lariats.

    In the urban game park, nut-gatherers rule 2011

  • Welcome to the liveblog of the political chitter-chat shows that we are forced to contend with in order to understand the minds of your political figures (addled) and the men and women who cover them (needy).

    TV SoundOff: Sunday Talking Heads Jason Linkins 2011

  • Yes | No | Report from shermanator wrote 7 weeks 2 days ago thats how i do it i walk and stop and listen if i hear chitter chatter i look or like he said corn works great man it is fun and i hate to say it its pretty good eating

    I just got my liscense and my dad isnt a hunter so i get all of my answers from here. 2009

  • Assistant Commissioner Lynne Owens told the panel that "chitter chatter" emerged of planned rioting and looting in Stratford, East London, the location of the Olympic site.

    U.K. Police Say Unrest Averted at Olympic Site Alistair MacDonald 2011

  • Hello and good morning and welcome to this January 23rd edition of your Sunday morning liveblog of these political chitter-chat shows that we are forced to contend with in order to understand the minds of your political figures (addled) and the men and women who cover them (needy).

    TV SoundOff: Sunday Talking Heads Jason Linkins 2011

  • Yes | No | Report from shermanator wrote 7 weeks 2 days ago thats how i do it i walk and stop and listen if i hear chitter chatter i look or like he said corn works great man it is fun and i hate to say it its pretty good eating

    I just got my liscense and my dad isnt a hunter so i get all of my answers from here. 2009

  • Hello and good morning and welcome to this January 23rd edition of your Sunday morning liveblog of these political chitter-chat shows that we are forced to contend with in order to understand the minds of your political figures (addled) and the men and women who cover them (needy).

    TV SoundOff: Sunday Talking Heads Jason Linkins 2011

Comments

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  • From the direction of the ticket window, Presley heard the unsteady chittering of the telegraph key.

    - Frank Norris, The Octopus, ch. 1

    August 9, 2008