patter

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition

1. v. To make a quick succession of light soft tapping sounds: Rain pattered steadily against the glass.
2. v. To move with quick, light, softly audible steps.
3. v. To cause to patter.
4. n. A quick succession of light soft tapping sounds: the patter of rain on the rooftops.
5. v. To speak or chatter glibly and rapidly.
6. v. To mumble prayers in a mechanical manner.
7. v. To utter in a glib, rapid, or mechanical manner.
8. n. The jargon of a particular group; cant.
9. n. Glib rapid speech, as of an auctioneer, salesperson, or comedian.
10. n. Meaningless talk; chatter.

Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia

1. To make a quick succession of small sounds by striking against the ground or any object: as, the pattering of raindrops on a roof.
2. To move with quick steps, making a succession of small sounds; hence, to make a succession of small sounds resembling those of short quick steps or of falling rain or hailstones.
3. To cause to strike or beat in drops; spatter.
4. n. A quick succession of small sounds: as, the patter of rain or hail; the patter of little feet.
5. To repeat the Lord's Prayer; hence, generally, to pray.
6. To talk; especially, to talk glibly or rapidly, as a cheap John in disposing of his wares.
7. To repeat something again and again in a rapid or mumbling way; mumble; mutter.
8. To repeat rapidly or often, especially in a hurried, mumbling way; repeat hurriedly and monotonously; mumble; mutter: as, to patter prayers.
9. n. Talk, especially glib or fluent talk; the oratory of a cheap John in disposing of his wares.
10. n. Gossip; chatter.
11. n. The dialect or patois of a class; slang; cant: as, gipsies’ patter; thieves’ patter.
12. To eat.
13. n. Rapid phrases introduced into a song in a speaking voice: sometimes applied to the whole text of a comedy.

Wiktionary

1. n. One who pats.
2. n. Glib and rapid speech, such as from an auctioneer, or banter during a sports event.
3. v. To speak in such a way – glibly and rapidly, such as from an auctioneer, or when bantering during a sports event.
4. n. The soft sound of feet walking on a hard surface.
5. v. To make irregularly repeated sounds of low-to-moderate magnitude and lower-than-average pitch.

GNU Webster's 1913

1. v. To strike with a quick succession of slight, sharp sounds
2. v. To mutter; to mumble.
3. v. colloq. To talk glibly; to chatter; to harangue.
4. v. rare To spatter; to sprinkle.
5. v. To mutter; as prayers.
6. n. A quick succession of slight sounds
7. n. Glib and rapid speech; a voluble harangue.
8. n. The cant of a class; patois.
9. n. Cant or Colloq. The language or oratory of a street peddler, conjurer, or the like, hence, glib talk; a voluble harangue; mere talk; chatter; also, specif., rapid speech, esp. as sometimes introduced in songs.

WordNet 3.0

1. v. rain gently
2. v. make light, rapid and repeated sounds
3. n. a quick succession of light rapid sounds
4. n. plausible glib talk (especially useful to a salesperson)