prattle

prattle
I. verb (prattled; prattling) Etymology: Low German pratelen; akin to Middle Dutch praten to prate Date: 1532 intransitive verb 1. prate 2. to utter or make meaningless sounds suggestive of the chatter of children ; babble transitive verb to say in an unaffected or childish manner • prattler nounprattlingly adverb II. noun Date: 1555 1. trifling or empty talk 2. a sound that is meaningless, repetitive, and suggestive of the chatter of children

New Collegiate Dictionary. 2001.

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  • Prattle — Prat tle, v. t. To utter as prattle; to babble; as, to prattle treason. Addison. [1913 Webster] …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • prattle — I noun blather, gabble, nonsensical talk, twaddle, verbiage II verb babble, blather, chatter, gab, jabber, prate, prattle, talk nonsense III index jargon (unintelligible language), prattle, speech B …   Law dictionary

  • Prattle — Prat tle, n. Trifling or childish tattle; empty talk; loquacity on trivial subjects; prate; babble. [1913 Webster] Mere prattle, without practice. Shak. [1913 Webster] …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Prattle — Prat tle, v. i. [imp. & p. p. {Prattled}; p. pr. & vb. n. {Prattling}.] [Freq. of prate.] To talk much and idly; to prate; hence, to talk lightly and artlessly, like a child; to utter child s talk. [1913 Webster] …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • prattle — (v.) 1530s, frequentative of PRATE (Cf. prate) (q.v.). Related: Prattled; prattling. The noun is attested from 1550s …   Etymology dictionary

  • prattle — chatter, patter, prate, gab, *chat, babble, gabble, jabber, gibber …   New Dictionary of Synonyms

  • prattle — [n] babble blubbering, burble, chatter, chit chat, drivel, gab, gabble, gibberish, gossip, hot air*, idle talk, jabber, jabbering, jargon, murmur, ranting, small talk, tattling, trivial talk, twaddle; concepts 266,278 …   New thesaurus

  • prattle — ► VERB ▪ talk at length in a foolish or inconsequential way. ► NOUN ▪ foolish or inconsequential talk. ORIGIN Low German pratelen, related to PRATE(Cf. ↑prate) …   English terms dictionary

  • prattle — [prat′ l] vi., vt. prattled, prattling [MLowG pratelen, akin to MDu praten, PRATE] 1. PRATE 2. to speak in a childish way; babble n. 1. idle chatter 2. childish babble prattler …   English World dictionary

  • prattle — v. 1) to prattle endlessly 2) (D; intr.) to prattle (on) about (he prattled on endlessly about his operation) * * * [ prætl] to prattle endlessly (D; intr.) to prattle (on) about (he prattled on endlessly about his operation) …   Combinatory dictionary

  • prattle — prattler, n. prattlingly, adv. /prat l/, v., prattled, prattling, n. v.i. 1. to talk in a foolish or simple minded way; chatter; babble. v.t. 2. to utter by chattering or babbling. n. 3. the act of prattling. 4. chatter; babble: the prattle of… …   Universalium

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